


Of Sky Pirates and Romance

by MakkachinOnIce



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Airships, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Blood and Violence, F/M, M/M, Magic, Magic-Users, Sky Pirates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-07
Updated: 2017-06-24
Packaged: 2018-10-16 00:18:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 28,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10560182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MakkachinOnIce/pseuds/MakkachinOnIce
Summary: “How far is the exit?” JJ asked. He was barely out of breath as he followed Seung-Gil while carrying Mila.“It only takes a minute or two,” Seung-Gil replied, “provided that there aren't guards along the way.”“I highly doubt that there would be anyone who would want to do their patrol down here…” JJ cringed as he glanced at the crumbling, moldy walls of the dark, cave-like pathways which smelled of age and decay. “I'm betting a gold bullion that there aren't guards here.”The captain was too engrossed in talking that he almost didn't notice Seung-Gil stop walking. The pirate captain barely ran into the other man.The engineer was staring ahead, his body stiff like a statue. It was only sensible that he just stood still. Standing before them were a group of guards, and a fair haired young man who glared at them with sheer fury.“There they are, the culprits,” Yuri told the soldiers.JJ stared at Seung-Gil through the corner of his eyes. “About that bet…”





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So it's my first time writing a fanfic in a purely fantasy genre. And since I love JJ and I love the idea of him going on adventures, I decided to write a story about him as a sky pirate.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this. Leaving a comment will help me know that you do.
> 
> Douzo!

 

The sky island of Aurel, the heart of the Nikiforov Empire was cruelly cold at night. Clouds formed a fog around the edges of the huge floating mass of land, covering the airship ports and the small, tile-roofed houses near the outskirts of the city like a blanket. The moon and the stars were close to mankind, almost as if they can be touched if one dares to reach out a hand. But tonight it was the city lights that glowed much brighter, jovial with the grand festivity that was taking place within the palace of the Emperor Viktor Nikiforov.

Yuri Plisetsky has been born a noble because of his mother’s bloodline, but unlike most people of the same social status as him, he was never the kind to delight in parties. He would rather stay at home in his grandfather’s plantation in the fertile lands of the Eastern Colonies, where he would just sit by the fireplace and cuddle his pet cat Evgenia and enjoy having dinner with his family.

Nevertheless, noble duties had to come first, and his grandfather, Sir Nikolai Plisetsky, was invited by the Empire to celebrate the engagement of Lady Mila Babicheva and the nobleman Lord Georgi Popovich – both of them were Yuri’s acquaintances, and knowing them both, he was certain that this was purely a political affair. For all he know Mila was rumored to be having a romantic affair with the charismatic Admiral Otabek Altin, who also happened to be his great friend. Georgi, on the other hand, was still devastated after discovering the illicit affair of his former lover, a commoner lady named Anya, with another noble.

While both parties were obviously not romantically involved with each other it was clear that Mila and Georgi had no choice but to obey. After all, the marriage was an arrangement approved by the Emperor himself. But to Yuri this farce was pure nonsense and so he decided to distance himself from the nobility socializing within the enormous banquet hall and took a leisurely walk in one of the palace’s many famous hanging gardens.

The Empire took pride in the fact that they were the most superior in creating technology which can be utilized for agriculture, and the hanging gardens served as a proof of that. The cold climate of the sky islands made it hard to raise plants that people had to travel far to the tamer areas in the Downlands just to raise vegetables and fruit trees. It was Yuri’s grandfather, a brilliant chemist, who discovered a fertilizer that helped give plants the capability to survive the harshest of climates and helped build the gardens which now became Aurel’s pride. This alone made Yuri so proud of his lineage, and he promised himself that he would follow his grandfather’s footsteps. He prided himself in academics, being peerless in the Academy when it comes to science and technology.

The trees of the hanging gardens were carefully trimmed, and each hedge was blooming with an exotic species of flower. Vines crawled freely along the stone walls and balcony railings. And as everyone was either celebrating in the city square or in the banquet, Yuri had the entire place for himself and it gave him peace of mind.

The cool air moved through the foliage of every tree and made the flowers sway to its silent music. Yuri began to think about the matters happening within the Empire. He was merely a child when Viktor Nikiforov started a war against the eastern countries, a form of campaign against the _cambiantes_ , whom he believed were creatures of evil descent, with preternatural abilities which were a threat to the monarchy's power. This apparently paved way for his conquest of what is now known as the Eastern Colonies. Yuri’s friend Otabek became the hero of the Empire’s most recent victory, after leading the army in conquering the Southern sky kingdom of Terra Granda.

 _How painful it must have been for him,_ Yuri thought of his dear friend with pity, _when he found out that his beloved was arranged to be married after he came home from a bloody battle._

But the Empire’s word was law, and cruel it may be for the two lovers, Yuri knew that there was nothing Otabek could do.

“Unless he plans a rebellion, of course,” Yuri chuckled, talking to himself. “But that would be impossible. He’s always been loyal to the Crown.”

That was another matter to think about. With the bitterness of war and the conquered people feeling the stigma of defeat and injustice, not to mention the fact that most of them were suffering from famine and sickness and blatant discrimination against the _cambiantes_ , rebellion was a natural occurrence within the Empire. It was only the efficiency of the Imperial Army armed with the brilliant power of science that kept these rebellions under control. It was one amazing thing about the Emperor – his ability to ruthlessly command his soldiers to quash every uprising that occurred within his territory made him a rather fearsome enemy to others.

But it wasn’t just the rebels whom the Empire should worry about, Yuri realized. The most fearsome enemies were the ones who were not bound by the Law; the ones who would defy the Empire’s word whenever they please. They think of themselves as free as the endless sky surrounding Aurel and all of the sky islands.

 _Sky pirates._ Yuri would think of them as nothing but useless brigands who could only make a living through crooked ways. They were infamous not just within the Empire but in other parts of the world as well, with the exception of the Downlands where they were rumored to reside.

The sky pirates were the bane of the Imperial Army’s existence. They commit various crimes from thievery to murder. They would attack merchant airships and steal their cargo, or kidnap nobles for ransom money. They were despicable, and if one of them was caught, they would be hanged the next day.

Despite the harsh punishment that the Empire placed upon the sky pirates there were still many of them around, more than enough to cause trouble to the Emperor and the entire government. They caused trouble for his grandfather as well, and this was what displeases Yuri the most.

Yuri was still deep in thought when he felt the strong gust of wind against his face. His shoulder-length blond hair and his thick, royal blue overcoat was whipping behind him as he felt the warm air, and the dizzying scent of machine oil and fuel. He looked up and found himself staring at an enormous black cloud – or was it a huge flying fish? The entire look of it was barely visible in the darkness, but he could see the familiar shape of the balloon as well as the fin-like design on either side, as well as the tail which helped it maintain its balance as it moved through the air.

 _An airship?_ Yuri had to squint to see the large machine floating in front of him. It was cleverly camouflaged in the shadows, just a few floors above the hanging gardens where there was an open window. In an instant Yuri understood what was going on – what was going to happen that night.

 _Shit,_ he thought in panic. _We’re under attack!_

 

* * *

 

 

Captain Jean-Jacques Leroy, more commonly known for his rather simple alias JJ, was a very grandiose man. Such was his extravagance that he wouldn’t settle for a subtle operation. Subtle, for him, was to fly his airship, the magnificent _Reina_ , into the heart of the Nikiforov Empire itself. Surely there should be soldiers on the hunt for him at this point. After all, he was a notorious sky pirate of his generation.

“I swear to the celestials, Jean, if we all get caught here,” Seung-Gil Lee, the group’s engineer was rarely the talker, but tonight he could not help but speak bluntly to the captain in sheer annoyance. “I will hang you myself.”

“Fret not, Seung-Gil, we won’t get caught,” JJ assured him. “We’ve never been caught. Besides, we’re here to kidnap the soon-to-be bride herself; we shouldn’t make her feel uncomfortable in her upcoming journey, right?”

Seung-Gil helplessly turned to the rest of the crew. “Somebody slap some sense into him.”

“It’s too late to do that, you know,” Emil Nikola, the crew’s head pilot said. “I mean, we’re already here.”

The raven-haired engineer could only groan helplessly. JJ stood by the edge of the airship’s broad, fin-like wings, patiently waiting to get close to the terrace where an open window led into one of the palace’s many rooms. They had memorized the map of the palace, and had an urchin help make sure that there would be an entrance for them. Everything was going according to plan.

“All right,” JJ grinned at his fellow sky pirates. “We’ll do everything according to plan. Emil, you know where to get us once we need to escape. Seung?”

“I’ll come with you, of course,” Seung-Gil sounded exasperated. “You’ll likely get lost without me.”

“Very well.” JJ held out his hand, which the engineer took. He pulled Seung-Gil close to him and, lifting him the way a groom would lift his bride on their honeymoon, JJ made a jump to the terrace.

It was a flawless jump, despite the fact that he was carrying a fellow man with him. Long legs clad in leather boots landed smoothly on the tile floor. Seung-Gil released himself from the captain’s arms, and was immediately on his feet. Two more crew members  joined them into the empty room, a large suite consisting of a canopy bed and furniture made of finely-polished hardwood.

The opulence of the room had JJ whistling in appreciation. “They sure have all the gold to furnish a room like this.”

“They have high taxes. What else would you expect?” Seung-Gil opened the door slightly and checked the hallway for passersby. Once the coast was clear he made his way out. JJ and the other crewmembers followed him suit.

The plan was rather simple. The goal was to kidnap Lady Mila herself. In order to do that, they had to cause a commotion within the banquet hall to distract everyone. Once the guards focus their attention on the feigned hullabaloo it would be the chance to take the bride away. Then they would escape back into the _Reina_ and fly away to safety.

JJ ordered the two crew members to venture in the other hallway and start the distraction. Then he went with Seung-Gil to do their part of the plan.

“What makes you think kidnapping the Lady is going to be easy?” Seung-Gil asked the captain as they hugged the walls, carefully avoiding the attention of the guards patrolling outside. His palms fumbled onto the deep red walls as he was searching for something. JJ, on the other hand, remained on the lookout for guards or servants.

At times like this the engineer’s senses were the most reliable. To the captain he was the most invaluable member of the crew, the one he would always take with him wherever he goes.

“I never said that it’s gonna be easy,” JJ replied in a whisper. He glanced around to see if there were people nearby, but the hallway was empty for the meantime. “Of course it will be hard. All eyes are going to be on Lady Mila since she’s the star of tonight’s festivity. And the most dangerous pair of eyes would be those of her rumored lover Admiral Altin.” He knelt under the windowsill when a group of soldiers walked past outside.

“Is he really her lover?” Seung-Gil murmured while searching. “Why would he come to her engagement party then?”

“Who knows?” JJ smirked. “Maybe he is planning to shoot down the supposed-to-be groom.”

“Not everyone shares the same fearsome idea of romance as yours.”

“I’m pretty sure the Admiral is just as vigilant as I am.”

Seung-Gil sighed; there was no beating Captain Leroy’s confidence if he already spoke with such certainty. The engineer continued his search, his palms pressed against the walls, until he found what he was looking for: a rectangular indent, brilliantly hidden in the wallpaper. He pressed it, and part of the wall moved inwards to reveal a secret passageway. This was one of the many emergency routes which the Royal family could use to escape during war. This was also said to be used when they were out in the middle of the night to spend time in some ignoble leisure. But to the sky pirates this was about to become useful in their criminal exploit.

The secret passageway led them to hidden door, disguised as one of the large portraits which were found in the banquet hall. Two small holes allowed JJ to peek outside; he cursed in annoyance when he realized that they were far from where the lady was sitting with her fiancé.

“Ah, fuck.” JJ grunted. The position of the tables would have helped them in their plan; the closer Mila was, the easier for them to take her away.

“Another miscalculation on your part?” Seung Gil could not help but smile. Seeing the captain’s failures provided him opportunities to tease.

JJ frowned. It seemed endearingly childish, his face becoming younger with a pout simply because his pride was mildly hurt. “Nobles. They always change the interior design at the very last minute.”

“What, now? Change of plans?”

“No. We’ll proceed accordingly.” JJ went back to peering around. Fortune was still merciful on them, because Otabek Altin was standing afar, away from his secret lover. As much as he pitied the lonely fellow for losing his loved one to the cruel world of politics, the last thing that JJ wanted was a formidable man to hinder his plans.

“Then it’s only a matter of time,” Seung Gil flipped the lid of his golden pocket watch and stared at the quickly moving hand, ticking as every second went by. JJ, on the other hand, kept his eyes peeled and his ears open. They both knew that trouble was about to begin.

 

* * *

 

 

It was a splendid evening in the palace as usual. The golden banquet halls of Aurel’s Imperial Palace were brighter than ever before, shining with glamour as hundreds of elegantly-dressed men and women gathered for an exquisite feast. It was a grand ball, and everyone seemed very happy dancing around, if not they were drinking the finest wine from the Eastern Colonies or having some interesting discussions about political or economical matters.

Of course, Lady Mila Babicheva had to be the only exception, despite being the belle of the ball and the future bride whom the celebration was held for. After all, what kind of free-spirited lady would actually be willing to be tied down by political marriage? She never asked to be born into a noble family, let alone become a relative of no less than the Emperor himself. But there she was, her beauty utilized for the pursuit of political power, as if her lineage was the only reason she existed.

She remained silent most of the time, save the occasional instances when she had to greet an important stranger or two. Mila was usually a vivacious person, the very life of every party, but it was inevitable that she lose her interest when everyone was celebrating about her settling down with someone else.

She didn’t want to be with someone else.

That night she knew that despite the hundreds of beautiful people around, despite the fashionable and alluring ladies and gentlemen in that ballroom, a certain man’s attention was all on her alone. She could feel the intensity of his gaze despite the distance between them. Those sharp and piercing dark eyes stared at her not to ogle at her rose red hair, or her golden dress which befitted her dazzling beauty. He was staring at her clear blue eyes endearingly, like he was reaching into the depths of her soul to tell a silent message.

 _You don’t have to do this. Leave with me._ That was the message behind Admiral Otabek Altin’s gaze.

Mila would have done so, but a cold thin hand held her shoulder and kept her to where she was currently sitting.

“Dear cousin,” Emperor Viktor Nikiforov was standing behind her all of a sudden, his clear blue eyes staring at her coldly. “A lady shouldn’t be wandering around.”

Mila looked upon his face, maintaining a cool and nonchalant expression to hide her anger. “I am the star of the night, am I not?”

“Of course,” Viktor's smile was as pretentious as it could ever be. “After all, this is _your engagement party_.”

Mila could no longer hide her hatred towards him. Why, of all the people she can be related to, she ended up with the most devious and the most tyrannical man she has ever met. Emperor Viktor, despite his tall and dashing exterior and elegant countenance, was not the nobleman you’d expect him to be on the inside. It was unfortunate; she knew that her cousin never liked her since their childhood days. There was something about the cold look in his eyes which made her feel inferior since the first day they met. There was something despicable about the sugar-coated words that would come out of his lips every time he slyly mock her. His disgust towards her was apparent, and for all she knew the Emperor might be delighted that she no longer have to stay under his wing once she is wed to some noble.

Fortunately, for Mila, the feeling was very mutual.

“Ah, I see,” Viktor's sapphire blue eyes narrowed at her. “You should be greeting our important guests. It's best if you walk around with Lord Popovich.” he then glanced at where Otabek was standing. “I'm quite certain that the Admiral shall be honored to meet the both of you.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

“Ah, what a cruel bastard.” JJ was watching the scenes from behind the secret door.

Seung-Gil arched an eyebrow in curiosity. “Did something happen?”

“Look here, Seung. I know you dislike women and their dramatic romance, but this one's pretty interesting.”

The engineer did as he was told, and peered through the peephole. Lady Mila and Lord Georgi were walking together, arm in arm, towards the Admiral. The frown on Otabek's face couldn't get any more obvious. The Emperor, sitting in his throne at the other end of the ballroom, watched everything in sheer satisfaction.

“You think the Admiral will thank us for stealing the bride?” Seung-Gil asked.

“If only he knows why,” JJ answered, chuckling softly.

Seung-Gil glanced at his pocket watch again. “Then we can just tell him about it once we finish the job.”

“Ugh, this will be troublesome,” JJ said. “Why did she have to move closer to him?”

“I told you we should change plans.”

“Nah, we’ll stick to the plan.”

Seung-Gil heaved a sigh. “Why are you so stubborn…”

“Well, for starters, we are running out of time.” JJ replied.

There was the loud booming sound, an explosion powerful enough to cause tremors within the banquet hall. Seung-Gil felt clouds of dust drop down from the ceiling and onto his head and shoulders. JJ, on the other hand, grinned in anticipation.

“Second reason,” the captain spoke proudly. “My idea is great!”

 

* * *

 

 

Yuri was running towards the banquet hall when a loud explosion erupted, and he felt the ground shake beneath him. The first thing that came into his mind was his grandfather. He worried for the old man's safety more than anyone.

He ran faster, hoping that he could immediately come to his rescue. He could also warn Otabek about the pirates; surely the Admiral was already on the alert by now due to the sudden commotion.

Yuri burst through the enormous double doors of the ballroom and, sure enough, everyone was running about, some panicking, while some were trying to make sense of whatever was going on. The Emperor was being taken away by the guards to safety, but everyone else seemed to be running for their own lives.

 _The nerve of those bastards!_ Despite all the chaos happening, Yuri was infuriated. _Those sky pirates! What are they planning?_

Another explosion shook the palace. This immediately quashed the young lord's anger. There was no time to get angry – there was only time to save his family.

 

* * *

 

 

“The bomb was stronger than we thought,” JJ noted offhandedly, as if the fact that they had caused discord in the very capital of the Nikiforov Empire was merely child's play. “Very well. Let's get moving.”

Another explosion ensued. This was the signal for them to move; the explosions should serve as a pretense of a rebel invasion at the time of the party. JJ lifted the door, allowing enough space for Seung-Gil to crawl out. He followed him afterwards.

Seung-Gil put on a pair of goggles and covered his nose and mouth with a mask. Walking casually through the crowd, he took out three black stones the size of a pistol bullet, and threw them on the floor close to where Mila and Georgi were. At that moment the political pretense of a couple got separated as Mila decided to search for someone else. It was apparent that she sought Otabek even at a time of danger.

 _You should worry about yourself, lady._ Seung-Gil eyed Mila – the main target of tonight’s operation. The stones rolled over until they reach her feet. The engineer snapped his fingers, and the stones popped open, unleashing white smoke which surrounded the lady the way ghosts would surround a person they wanted to possess.

Obsidian eyes focused on the lady, Seung-Gil’s gloved fingers danced through the air as he maneuvered the smoke to efficiently cover her. It was his own concoction of narcotic herbs, dried for months and pounded into fine powder that can make people fall asleep when inhaled. In a large, open space the herbs may not have its desired effect, but with his magic he was able to completely control the smoke and concentrate on his main target. Mila dropped to the floor in an instant, quickly asleep. In the midst of a crowd that was too afraid for their lives this wasn't even noticed.

JJ slapped Seung-Gil’s back in appreciation. “Well done.”

The pirate captain proceeded to do his part of the plan. He was only a few feet away from the unconscious lady when he was held back by the gleaming point of a sabre. JJ moved into a halt, his hand reflexively grabbing the hilt of his own weapon.

The Admiral was standing before the two pirates in an instant, blocking JJ in order to defend Mila.

“I should have known,” Otabek narrowed his eyes at him and Seung-Gil. “This is your kind of scheme, after all. Creating a huge chaos to keep everyone from learning your true plans.”

JJ had an appalled look on his face. “Are you accusing me of being a one-trick pony?” It was a remark which he would never forgive; JJ Leroy had always aimed to surprise everyone, allies and enemies alike. He just had to take the Admiral's words as if they were a grave insult.

“Ugh,” Seung-Gil rolled his eyes in annoyance. Unlike his captain he was less easily distracted, and more straightforward; he quickly dashed towards Otabek, aiming to move closer so that he can use the remaining amount of smoke to make him fall asleep. But the Admiral was clever as anyone would expect; he immediately moved backwards, covering his face with his arm. With his free hand he pulled out his military pistol, which he aimed at the engineer.

“Move back!” JJ swiftly pulled Seung-Gil out of the way as Otabek fired. Seung-Gil lost his concentration in the process, and so the white smoke which he had been manipulating had dispersed, useless.

Otabek aimed once again, but this time JJ, the one with quick reflexes, was able to fight back by kicking the gun before the he can even fire a shot. The Admiral's pistol was thrown away, lost in the crowd of people and leaving him with only his sabre as his weapon. JJ pulled out his weapon, a rapier, and lunged at him before he can recover.

“Get the target,” JJ commanded Seung-Gil, who rushed towards Mila.

There was a flash of anger in Otabek's dark eyes as he placed his attention towards Seung-Gil. He completely ignored the captain and went for the engineer instead.

“I am not letting you take her!” the Empire's proud hero was no longer the calm soldier; there was only the presence of a man ready to risk his life to defend what's his. One could only wonder if he was even referring to the sky pirates, or if he was actually referring to Lord Georgi, when he yelled those words in sheer wrathful tone.

Otabek struck at Seung-Gil, who narrowly escaped the blade of his sabre. Sharp metal loudly hit the marble floor as he tried to chop the engineer's arm off. Another violent sweep tore the mask off of Seung-Gil’s face.

 

Seung-Gil screamed in agony as he felt the sharp blade cut the right side of his face. Blood dripped on the floor, and he felt the stabbing pain on his right eye which could hardly see anything but crimson by now.

Otabek raised his sword to give the engineer the final blow. The Admiral was clearly bent on killing Seung-Gil, that he had  obviously forgotten his other adversary.This short moment of distraction provided JJ the chance to strike, deciding to knock the Admiral unconscious with the hilt of his weapon.

 

The Admiral fell to the ground, completely defenseless and could be killed any time. But JJ decided against it. Pirate he might be, but murder was not his goal that night.

“He is out cold,” he told Seung-Gil, in a tone that seemed as if he wanted to be assured that Otabek wouldn't get up all of a sudden.

“We need to go.” Seung-Gil, ignoring the damage he had taken, reached out for Mila.

“Oh no, you won’t.” JJ carried Mila before his partner in crime could even take her. “You’re injured. You lead us back to safety, okay?”

It was at times like this, when his worth as a pirate seemed to be slightly mocked, that Seung-Gil would do something endearing yet immature for someone as intelligent as him. He looked upon JJ’s face and pouted, as he, despite knowing very well that the captain did not mean anything bad, felt mildly offended by the idea of not being relied upon.

“Oh, come on,” JJ frowned. “Your cuteness won’t make me put all the burden on you, okay?”

Seung-Gil immediately went back to his passive look. “I guess you’re not that weak after all.”

“What – what does that mean? Hey!”

The engineer led the way back to one of the secret doors. This time it was located under one of the suits of armor in the banquet hall. They went down the steep old stairs made of stone, which should lead them down to a series of underground pathways to the exit, where Emil would be waiting.

“How far is the exit?” JJ asked. He was barely out of breath as he followed Seung-Gil while carrying Mila.

“It only takes a minute or two,” Seung-Gil replied, “provided that there aren't guards along the way.”

“I highly doubt that there would be anyone who would want to do their patrol down here…” JJ cringed as he glanced at the crumbling, moldy walls of the dark, cave-like pathways which smelled of age and decay. “I'm betting my gold bullion that there aren't guards here.”

The captain was too engrossed in talking that he almost didn't notice Seung-Gil stop walking. The pirate captain barely ran into the other man.

The engineer was staring ahead, his body stiff like a statue. It was only sensible that he just stood still. Standing before them were a group of guards, and a fair haired young man who glared at them with sheer fury.

“There they are, the culprits,” Yuri told the soldiers.

JJ stared at Seung-Gil through the corner of his eyes. “About that bet…”

 

* * *

 

 

Yuri was too anxious in searching for his grandfather through the crowd that he barely noticed what was going on. It was only by fortune that he found Otabek's golden pistol on the floor. Knowing the Admiral, he would rather drop dead first before his gun could touch the ground. Yuri immediately understood that his friend was in grave danger.

Sure enough, Yuri was able to witness the fierce fight between the Admiral and the two sky pirates. One of them was covered with a mask and a pair of goggles, but he certainly recognized the other as he had seen him on papers and bounty flyers for countless times - the infamous Jean-Jacques Leroy, wanted by the Empire for numerous crimes and has a bounty of over three hundred gold bullions and an island.

Yuri could see that Otabek could handle himself well, even with two opponents. But at that time he was different; Yuri knew very well that his friend was a strategist, a calm fighter who waited patiently until he had the chance to strike. But at that time he was wild like a mindless beast, his movements were dictated by instinct rather than reason. This show of weakness was used against him as he was taken down by the pirate Leroy.

Once the Admiral was unconscious the two pirates went for Mila, the pirate captain carried her away to one of the hidden paths in the hall. Yuri knew very well where that secret door would lead to; in fact, he was confident that he can get ahead and block them before they can even leave the palace.

But first he rushed to his friend's aid. Luckily, Otabek did not sustain grave injuries. He was simply struck at the back of his head with a blunt object, which knocked him unconscious. He prop him up against the wall to keep the others from stepping on him. Then, Yuri went on with his plan.

He called as many guards as he could, alarming them about the enemy trying to escape through underground. They quickly followed him down the maze of old and dark hallways. Yuri had been down these cavernous paths when he was a child; he used to play pretend on his own, assuming the job of an archaeologist who was searching for exotic artifacts. Now he was really glad that he did so; else there was no way he could catch up with the sky pirates. He could not hide the look of satisfaction on his face as he met the two criminals who had just hurt his friends.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“About the bet…” JJ whispered to Seung-Gil who seemed to ignore him.

The guards have already drawn their weapons. The two sky pirates were very lucky to have a hostage with them, or else they would have been shot without warning.

 

“Stay back,” the engineer told the captain in a firm tone.

JJ looked at Seung-Gil indignantly. “You know I am grateful that you are willing to fight for me, but I'm now getting the feeling that I'm being useless.”

One of the Imperial guards tried to inch towards them. Seung-Gil made him move backwards by slamming the wall with his left fist, causing a tremor in the underground caves.

The young blond-haired nobleman stared at the engineer in disbelief. “A _cambiante…_ ”

Everyone stood still, JJ included. The captain was worried that things were getting out of hand.

“Seung…we’ll be in trouble if you go overboard.”

“I can take care of this.” Seung-Gil slowly walked towards the guardsmen, who slowly moved back, apparently frightened.

“S-stay back!” One of the soldiers ordered. But Seung-Gil remained calm, save the look in his obsidian eyes, which flashed anger. “We won't hesitate to execute you, heretic!”

“I would like to see you try.” Seung-Gil replied, before he sent the soldier flying with one literally blazing punch.

JJ looked aghast as he watched Seung-Gil move around the cavern in his fiery glory. The darkness was replaced by blazing light as the engineer forced the enemy to withdraw. Seung-Gil's wounded eye no longer bleed. Instead it became the color of the flames he was unleashing: gloriously golden and bright, like sunfire mercilessly glaring at the enemy to burn them to ashes with his gaze.

 

The pirate captain knew very well how Cambiantes work. They were born with the preternatural ability to control nature at their will. In Seung-Gil's case he was especially adept at utilizing the power of fire to his advantage, to the point that he could materialize it simply by means of concentration. But this would take a toll on him in a matter of minutes. And that would be a bad idea.

 

“Seung!” JJ ducked under the blazing waves of fire as the engineer swung his arms towards the enemy. He didn't even realize that he had already dropped the hostage. He was too concerned about what could happen to Seung-Gil once he lose control.

Deciding it would be better if all the soldiers were knocked out rather than burned alive, JJ made his move. He swiftly dashed towards one of the guardsmen and put him to sleep with a direct jab to the nose. He went onto the next guard, breaking his jaw to knock him down. Other soldiers were already unconscious or have already fled from the frightening _cambiante_.

Only the blond young man remained. He stared at JJ with anger in his eyes, which were green like emeralds. It was a fascinating sight, and somehow JJ felt as if he had seen something as good as the treasures he had looted before - if not better.

The young man was clearly trying to be  brave despite the fact that he was going against two criminals, one of them being a dangerous fire-wielding being. The captain noticed the nobleman's hands were shaking as he aimed the Admiral's pistol at him.

 

“You're a friend of the Admiral,” JJ observed the familiar weapon being aimed at his face without fear. 

“Yes,” the young man replied. “And I’ll avenge him.”

“What for? He didn't die…” JJ paused, and eyed the boy worriedly.  “Did he?”

“Otabek won't be defeated by the likes of you.”

“Ouch. That's kinda mean,” JJ feigned feeling hurt by the young nobleman’s words. “Especially since the Admiral himself knows how many times he failed to catch me - hey!” He barely dodged the bullet which the young man fired without warning.

Seung-Gil was ready to retaliate, his hand blazing with a fireball. JJ took matters into his own hands by grabbing the nobleman's wrist.

“You imbecile! Let me go!” Yuri struggled to get away from the pirate captain's grip, but to no avail. He felt like he was losing strength; he was couldn't even fight back. In the end he fainted, falling straight into JJ’s arms.

“Oh my,” JJ managed to quip despite the situation he was in. “I wish I could enjoy embracing you, kitten, but this is a bit too fast - “

“Stop playing around.” Seung-Gil scolded him.

“Okay, okay,” JJ chuckled. “But we need to heal your eye first - “ he ducked just in time to avoid a sharp projectile moving at lightning speed. “Ah, _merde_!" He shouted at the soldiers who suddenly came up from behind them. It seemed that the guardsmen who fled were able to raise an alarm and call for reinforcements. "Give us a break already!”

"I would be surprised if they did," Seung-Gil murmured as he started to run. They have wasted enough time underground; it was time to go back home to the skies.

The two sky pirates immediately ran towards the exit. It seemed to be a long way to get to the airship; fortunately the guards were too slow to catch up. Somehow JJ felt like they stopped firing their rifles at them. It may be because they had a hostage with them. They were so fortunate.

They knew they made it to the exit the moment they heard the hum of the _Reina._  The sound that the airship makes was as familiar to them as breathing. The rest of the crew were all there, waiting patiently and looking all ready to attack or save whoever was about to come out of the cavern.

 

Emil had the airship's main door open, and JJ and Seung-Gil took no time jumping in. Soon the Reina was up in the sky, safely leaving the imperial capital of Aurel which is now in chaos. The captain and the engineer could only breathe a sigh of relief once the airship was far from the sky island.

 

One of the crew members rushed to Seung-Gil's side with a medicine kit, but he brushed him off.

“I'm fine,” Seung-Gil told him.

 

“But sir, your eye…”

“It was able to heal itself.”

“But it has changed, sir. Are you sure you’ll be all right?”

 Seung-Gil frowned. The crew member looked genuinely concerned. “Does it look bad?”

“No, sir, if anything…” the crew member took his time finding the right words to say. “It's actually interesting to look at. It's as if the sun was captured in your eye.”

 

* * *

 

JJ, on the other hand, was leaning against the wall, resting after such a long night of fighting and running. It was quite a success, being able to infiltrate and leave Aurel with only minor casualties. But he kept the Admiral's words in his mind; maybe he should listen to Seung-Gil's ideas and come up with fresh schemes next time.

He was too engrossed in thinking that he barely noticed Emil as he approached him. The pilot looked at him worryingly.

“What happened to Seung-Gil’s eye?” He asked.

“Ah, it was  an unexpected lapse in our supposedly flawless plan,” JJ replied vaguely. He would like to mention the engineer's skirmish with Otabek Altin, but knowing Seung-Gil, the wound was a sign of defeat, and he would rather be dead than to hear anyone speak of the battles in which he lost.

“That was quite an adventure we had,” JJ said with a lopsided grin. “But we managed to do the job.”

“Eh? But you weren't able to kidnap the Lady.” Emil replied.

JJ frowned in confusion. “Really? I was quite certain that I had been carrying a human body until we got here.”

“Yeah, you did.” Emil shrugged. “But I checked multiple times, and you only brought a boy into this ship. Blond and beautiful. I'm surprised that Seung-Gil didn't get angry at you.”

JJ eyed the other man blankly. Then, after a long moment of silence, he quickly got up and ran as fast as he could to where the hostage was.

_No, no, no. This is bad._

JJ could only stare incredulously at the body sleeping in the spartan bedroom which was supposed to be for Lady Mila Babicheva. Emil was right: instead of the red haired bride-to-be, what he saw was the beautiful young nobleman with golden blond hair, sleeping like a kitten despite having his arms and legs bound by shackles.

“Well,” JJ tried to keep his cool as he spoke. “What an unexpected turn of events.”

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Hold on,” Seung grabbed JJ's arm. “Don't you just open the door right away.”
> 
> “That's so sweet of you Seung, but don't worry,” JJ replied with a confident smile. He unlocked the door afterwards.
> 
> The pirate captain was immediately greeted by a powerful head butt the moment he opened the door. JJ, being a tall man, was struck on the chin. He didn't even have time to react.

 

A few days had gone by since the sky pirates attacked the city of Aurel. Otabek could see the aftermath of the battle through the window of his bedroom, in a luxurious apartment located in the city’s upper district area. It was a convenient place to be for important military personnel like him due to its proximity to the golden palace, which was now under minor repairs. The fact that the apartment was also walking distance away from Lady Babicheva's villa was a more interesting benefit.

Jean-Jacques Leroy’s sudden attack on Aurel caused quite the chaos but did less damage to the city than what was expected. Nevertheless, that did not lessen the implication that the imperial capital was no longer a safe haven for its citizens. It was, at the very least, a slap on the face of the Imperial Army, particularly the Crown Navy that has been deemed superior throughout the years.

There was also the matter of the infamous pirate captain’s motive. Investigation took place right after the attack, which revealed that it was indeed a kidnapping attempt on Lady Mila Babicheva. Nothing filled Otabek’s heart with hatred more than the thought of sky pirates taking her away. He had been through multiple battles in order to protect the Empire from its enemies, but never has he ever wished to shed blood, until now.

Still, it wasn’t as if the pirates wanted to have a beautiful noblewoman for a bride all of a sudden. Otabek had known how JJ and his crew worked; the captain was an infamously whimsical person, but his plans were always of great importance. The fact that JJ was already aware of all the hidden pathways in the palace, not to mention the fact that he was working with a _cambiante_ , was more than enough for him to conduct a brilliant plan to assassinate the Emperor. Why would he choose to utilize such relevant advantage to conduct a petty kidnapping scheme? It was something which the Admiral could not help but worry about.

And lastly, there was the fact that the pirates had taken away his friend Yuri Plisetsky. It might have been a desperate measure, or it might be part of their elaborate plan. Whichever it was, there was no denying the fact that Otabek had failed to save him. He had no idea how to face Yuri's grandfather afterwards.

It was a painful truth: Jean-Jacques Leroy and his crew caused the heroic Admiral Altin multiple failures in just one night. The only thing left for Otabek to do was to seek revenge for the humiliation he felt, as well as to save his friend from the enemy.

A knock on the door pulled Otabek out of his thoughts and dragged him back to reality. The only maidservant in the house, a soft-spoken middle aged lady, called him.

“A messenger from the Palace has arrived, sir.”

Otabek frowned. _Of course,_ he said to himself. _The Emperor is going to summon me._

He dressed up quickly, donning a black overcoat subtly lined with gold thread and a pair of immaculate white pants. The knee length boots completed the formal attire, and he was good to go.

Otabek greeted the messenger in a gracious but authoritative manner. “Good day. What brings you here?”

The messenger looked appalled that he wasn't greeted the way he expected to be as part of the Imperial Court. Nevertheless, he kept his composure for the sake of formality. “The Emperor summons you, sir. It's an emergency.”

 _As expected of him._ “Very well.” Otabek nodded in response.

The Admiral was brought to the Palace by a gilded brougham pulled by two black stallions. Imperial guardsmen greeted him with salute, before he could even walk past the huge double doors which served as the main entrance. It was a clear sign that he was the most revered of all soldiers.

The Empire has numerous notable men and women in the Army, but no one earned as much respect as Otabek Altin. A son of a poor blacksmith, Otabek was blessed with a quick mind and strength of body. Sir Nikolai took note of his skills and had him enroll at the Academy, where he met Yuri and Mila. He didn't disappoint his family and his benefactor; by the time he reached fifteen years of age, he graduated with honors and joined the Crown Navy soon after. It wasn't long till he became one of the heroes of war, most famous for overturning the outcome of the Empire's battle with the southern kingdoms.

“A great day to you, Admiral. The Emperor wishes to see you in the library.”

Now this was an interesting turn of events. Years of dealing with various political personalities had already given Otabek an idea of how the Emperor meets his acquaintances. The fact that he wasn't summoned to the throne room would imply that he was not to be humiliated in front of the Court on that day.

A meeting in the library was a sign that the Emperor wished for a private audience. Otabek knew very well that it could only mean one thing.

* * *

 

 

Only a few people were allowed to enter the Emperor's library. And those few chosen would assure you that entering that room was a bad omen.

Otabek had been to the city's public library a few times, and no matter how huge the entire place was it was nothing compared to the splendor of the Emperor's private library. Shelves of polished wood housed the rarest works. The books were all made by great authors, from the most intelligent scholars to the most revered poets. Intellectuals within and outside the Empire had sought to study these treasures.

Emperor Viktor Nikiforov was sitting behind his desk, spending his time by poring over a thick hardbound book, which turned out to be one of the classic literary masterpieces about how deceit can become a leader’s downfall. He was too engrossed in reading that Otabek had to wait for a while until he finally noticed his presence.

“Ah, there you are.” Viktor closed the book shut and placed it on top of his desk. Otabek gave a formal salute in greeting.

“It appears that I have been summoned,” Otabek said.

The Emperor nodded. “And as you can see, this is a very important private matter. You are very aware of our current situation aren’t you, Admiral?”

Otabek lowered his head, partly as a form of apology, partly because he didn’t want to meet those cold blue eyes. “Forgive me for what happened, Your Majesty.”

Viktor waved his hand offhandedly. “There’s nothing else to do about what was inevitable. Today I would like to speak to you regarding what can be done. About that Jean-Jacques Leroy...”

 _This is it,_ Otabek said to himself. _The opportunity for revenge._

“The attack that took place during the festival…I take it that it wasn’t your first encounter with him?” Viktor clasped his hands as he gazed at the Admiral thoughtfully.

“I’ve met him in various encounters against the sky pirates, Your Majesty.” Otabek gulped as he felt the cold gaze upon him; he knew that he was being analyzed by the Emperor.

“And yet you were never able to catch him? Not even once?”

“He was a notorious pirate who has allied with the _cambiantes_ , Your Majesty.”

“Hmmm…” Viktor actually sounded bored. “Are you saying that the pirate Leroy is a criminal beyond your capabilities as a soldier?" 

It was a blatant insult to his pride as a soldier, but more importantly, it was a direct attack to his honor as a man. At that, Otabek snapped. “That’s not it.”

“Oh? Then what is?” Viktor’s blue eyes twinkled in delight; it was as if he was merely toying with the Admiral.

 _He probably is._ Otabek knew very well how fickle the Emperor could be, not to mention the fact that this barrage of insults might have something to do with Lady Mila. “I’m the one who have encountered him numerous times in battle. If I can’t catch him, no one else can."

“Point taken,” Viktor shrugged nonchalantly. “Admiral, I am asking you this for one very important reason. I would like to send a special unit to retrieve Sir Nikolai Plisetsky’s grandson. If I remember it correctly you are a great friend of that boy, Yuri Plisetsky.”

“Yes,” Otabek nodded in reply. “He and I are like brothers.”

“Splendid!” Viktor smiled ever so charmingly at him. “Then you wouldn’t say no to this mission, am I right?”

“I am grateful for this chance you have given me, Your Majesty.” Otabek knelt down on one knee and clasped his hands together. “I assure you that the Imperial Army’s honor shall be restored.”

“Brilliant!” Viktor replied with a smile. There was something about the Emperor’s smile, along with the twinkle in his cold blue eyes that could send shivers down the spine. “And what shall be the fate of the pirate?”

Otabek responded to the emperor, this time his dark eyes staring directly into those icy blue orbs. “I will bring Jean-Jacques Leroy’s head on a platter. That is my promise to you, Your Majesty.”

Viktor smirked gleefully. “I expect nothing less from you.”

 

* * *

 

_Yuri's dreams were often about his family or his pet cat. This time was no different. He was dreaming about going back home to find Evgenia scratching his mother's favorite curtains in the salon._

_“Evgenia! Look at what you’ve done!” He tried to pick her up, only to find out that his hands were bound. It baffled him at first, then he shook with fear as he realized that he was imprisoned in a dark dungeon._

For the first time in a long while, Yuri had a nightmare.

Yuri woke up to find himself feeling numb. His hands were shackled behind him, and his feet were loosely chained together. He could move around, but someone had made certain that he would not go far.

_Where am I?_

The question hit Yuri like a ton of bricks. He got up to take a look at his surroundings. He was sitting on a narrow bed, in a spartan room with one small round window. He walked towards it and took a look outside. There was nothing but huge clouds and the blue sky. He could barely see what it was underneath the window, but he was certain that he was currently miles high from the ground.

Yuri still had no idea where he was, but it was clear that he was far from the city of Aurel.

“Ah, you're awake!”

Yuri turned around and saw a tall man standing by the doorway. A stranger with tawny hair and mirthful blue eyes; he wore a belt carrying the tools of an airship pilot. Yuri's eyes widened upon seeing them.

It dawned on him that he was in an airship, kidnapped by no less than the despicable Jean-Jacques Leroy.

“You bastards,” Yuri growled at the pilot. “How dare you?!”

“What? I wasn't the one who kidnapped you,” the pilot frowned at Yuri. He looked so appalled that Yuri wondered if the man wasn't used to people hating on him.

Still, the statement did not soften the blond boy’s furious gaze. “Where’s your clown of a captain and his heretic companion?”

“Seriously, kid, you need to stop that...you can get away with calling JJ a clown, but Seung-Gil hates being called heretic…”

 _So that cambiante has a name._ “I don't give a fuck,” Yuri hissed angrily. “Why did you take me? You won't get anything from me. Or are you after my grandfather?”

“Well…” the pilot avoided his gaze as he laughed nervously. “It's a long story…it’s better for you to listen to the captain’s explanation instead. I know! I’ll get him for you.” And with that he left, shutting the door and locking it before Yuri could even get close.

* * *

 

 

Seung-Gil was the least sociable member of JJ's sky pirate crew. If there were no missions and no one was asking for assistance in repairing parts of the _Reina_ , he amuses himself by staying in his laboratory and surrounding himself with books, machines, and the strong scent of chemicals.

Today was no exception. He was busy peering through the magnifying glass, inspecting a miniscule part of a gizmo that he was making.

There was something about toying with inventions that makes Seung-Gil relax. The pursuit of knowledge and utilizing it to create wonders was a hobby which he had been doing since childhood. It also helped him understand his lineage. Being a _cambiante_ , he was very curious about his kind. He wanted to know how they came to be, how they're different from the humans.

“Mind if I come in?”

Seung-Gil looked up to find JJ waiting at the door. The captain smiled sheepishly at him.

“Still angry?” JJ asked. After finding found out that they had accidentally taken the wrong hostage, Seung-Gil got so mad that he had locked himself up in his room for two straight days. JJ, being the captain, had keys to all the rooms in the airship, but he let him be out of respect and as a form of apology for his mistake.

Seung-Gil heaved an exhausted sigh. There was no way he would get angry at JJ for so long. “Come in.

JJ beamed as he walked to the table where Seung-Gil was conducting his technological experiment. “You're making something again?”

“Just a tool to help Emil,” Seung-Gil replied. “I'm also thinking of creating a custom made version for Yuuri.”

“That's nice.” JJ leaned closer and gently turned the engineer's face towards him. “Let me look at your eye, Seung. Are you sure you're all right?”

“Stop staring at it,” Seung-Gil spoke as if he was annoyed, but the blush on his cheeks said otherwise.

“Just think of this as a check-up,” JJ rubbed the side of Seung-Gil's face with his thumb. He gazed at the scar left after Otabek slashed Seung-Gil's eye back in Aurel. There was an expression of guilt on his face, and Seung-Gil felt bad about it; it wasn't the captain's fault that he got wounded in the battle.

Seung-Gil could not help but feel uncomfortable as the captain’s blue-grey eyes were focused on him. “JJ, just...stop it, will you?”

“It's not so bad,” JJ smiled at him. “Your new eye. It's as if it has captured fire and kept it burning forever.”

Seung-Gil lowered his head to hide his embarrassment. “It’s nothing. Battle scars are common among us men.”

“Well, Seung, allow me to remind you that there's nothing common about JJ Leroy and his crew.”

“You have a point.”

“Heh! I always have a point.”

Their discussion was interrupted by Emil, who came barging into the room.

“Hey,” he told them. “The blond boy’s awake!”

* * *

 

JJ beamed joyfully upon hearing the news. So the nobleman from Aurel was finally awake. He had been worried that they had rendered him comatose after the failed kidnapping attempt.

“I’ll go see him,” JJ told Emil.

“Hold on,” Seung-Gil stood up from his chair and stretched his limbs for a moment. “I’ll come with you. Who knows what that brat can do to you?”

“Seung, that blond lad got his hands and legs shackled. Surely I will be fine?”

“Let me remind you that that blond lad tried to shoot you down.” Seung-Gil glared at the captain.

“Uh...well, if you insist…” JJ glanced at Emil. “Do we still have food left?”

Emil nodded. “We have more than enough to last until we meet Yuuri and Minami at the Bhuta Isles.”

“Good. That kid needs to eat something. Seung, come with me.”

The captain and the engineer headed for the room where they kept their hostage

“Hold on,” Seung grabbed JJ's arm. “Don't you just open the door right away.”

“That's so sweet of you Seung, but don't worry,” JJ replied with a confident smile. He unlocked the door afterwards.

The pirate captain was immediately greeted by a powerful head butt the moment he opened the door. JJ, being a tall man, was struck on the chin. He didn't even have time to react.

“JJ!” Seung watched his captain fall onto the floor, but unlike JJ he wasn't caught off guard; he was able to grab Yuri before the blond lad could even strike him.

“Let me go!” Yuri protested, but Seung-Gil forcefully pushed him down onto the floor, face first.

“Ugh, that was unexpected.” JJ sat up, rubbing his chin gingerly. He seemed to disregard it, though, and he even smiled at Yuri rather fondly. “Not bad.”

“You - “ Yuri growled. He struggled to free himself from Seung-Gil’s grip, but the _cambiante_ was clearly stronger than him.

“Let him stand up, Seung,” JJ said. “We need to properly treat our guest. Oh, where are my manners?” He stood up, and bowed in such a flamboyantly elegant way, almost theatrical in manner. “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Jean-Jacques Leroy, famous sky pirate and notoriously dashing man. Oh, and also the desire of many men and women - for numerous unspeakable reasons. Welcome to my humble abode.” He spread his arms wide afterwards as he proudly introduced his airship.

Yuri seemed anything but impressed. “Get to the point, pirate. What do you want from me?”

JJ arched his eyebrows. “I beg your pardon?”

Yuri rolled his eyes.

“He wants to know why we're holding him captive,” Seung-Gil spoke.

“Ah,” JJ shrugged offhandedly. “Well, it was an accident.”

At this, Yuri could not help but raise an eyebrow. “What?”

“It was an accident,” JJ repeated, as if it was the most normal thing in the world. This baffled the nobleman even more.

“You weren't our target, obviously,” Seung-Gil told Yuri. “But shit happens in life.”

“Yes, but that's alright,” JJ smiled cheerfully at Yuri. “You're quite an interesting find. What's your name?”

Yuri averted his gaze and ignored the captain’s question. “Like hell I would introduce myself to someone like you.”

JJ shrugged nonchalantly. “That's fine. I'll just name you myself. How does Lady sound?”

Yuri whipped his head towards JJ. Judging by the expression on his face, it was clear that he has been insulted numerous times for his feminine features. “You bastard - my name is Yuri!”

“It's a pleasure to meet you, Lord Yuri,” JJ smiled at him triumphantly. Yuri suddenly realized that he was tricked by the sky pirate.

* * *

 

Otabek was the kind of man who was patient, but never wasted his time. The moment he accepted the rescue mission that the Emperor had personally assigned to him he decided that he must start hunting JJ Leroy down right away.

The Nikiforov Empire was a huge span of sky cities and conquered lands, and the Admiral was certain that JJ and his crew haven’t gone past its borders just yet. It was Otabek's only solace; once JJ crossed the boundary the Crown Navy would have little chance of pursuing him anywhere among the bordering kingdoms.

Otabek spoke to one of the guardsmen. “Is Leo de la Iglesia around?”

“Yes sir,” the guard answered.

“Good,” Otabek replied. “Tell him to go to the hangar with Guanghong. The Leviathan has be ready for flight by today - “

The Admiral froze as he noticed the presence of Lord Georgi Popovich, who had just arrived.

Georgi greeted him in a rich, deep voice. “A good day to you, Admiral. I didn't expect to see you here today.”

“His Imperial Majesty summoned me,” Otabek replied, not without greeting the nobleman with a salute.

“How odd. I am also being summoned.”

 _Probably for the wedding preparations,_ Otabek thought darkly.

“Very well,” Otabek told Georgi. “I need to depart from Aurel today.”

And with that he left, not even bothering to wait for the other’s response. Otabek moved in quick, efficient strides.

There was no time for the pains caused by love. There was only time for an old foe to wreak vengeance upon, and time for a friend to save from harm.

* * *

 

 

The military airships were located in a port that was separate from the one meant for merchant and passenger airships. Hundreds of flyers - small airships designed for fighting - were under the enormous hangars, parked and waiting for a pilot or in pieces while surrounded by repairmen. And then there were the big ones - enormous warships that could carry more than one flyer, airships that could demolish cities with frightening firepower.

One of these ships is the _Leviathan_ , the proud military airship that was owned by Otabek and piloted by his army battalion. It floated just outside its hangar, anchored to the port by a semisolid holographic chain.

Otabek had just arrived, after going home to get himself ready for the upcoming mission. He was in his military uniform, and was carrying his sabre and pistol with him.

The pistol was found underground where Yuri and the sky pirates were last seen. Otabek gripped its handle tight, swearing an oath to his weapon that he would save his friend no matter what.

“Admiral,” Leo de la Iglesia, the _Leviathan’s_ chief engineer spoke to Otabek. “She is good to go.”

Otabek glanced at him. “What about our supplies?”

“Guanghong prepared the supplies. Food, water, even fuel. We have enough to last us until we get to the border.”

“Well done.” Otabek patted Leo’s shoulder approvingly. He immediately climbed into the airship afterwards. Soldiers were running around the airship and greeted him as he walked to the captain’s deck.

Another crew member saluted before the Admiral. A youthful man with pale skin and freckled cheeks, one would assume that he was a pushover. Little did anyone know that Guanghong Ji was one of Otabek's deadliest gunmen. He was even more dangerous when he takes control of _Leviathan's_ cannons.

“We're ready to leave, sir,” Guanghong told Otabek.

“Then let's go,” Otabek answered. “We have to catch Jean-Jacques Leroy before he crosses the Empire's boundaries. 

Guanghong nodded, and signalled the crew for departure. Leo took charge of the airship's main controls and detached the airship from the port.

Otabek could feel his heart pound as he waited for the Leviathan to take flight. There was still the emptiness caused by the recent tragedies in his life, as he was about to lose Mila and Yuri was in grave danger at the hands of criminals. He could not wait to fly and turn the tables around.

And then the Leviathan soared to the sky, almost as if she has heard her master's wish.

* * *

 

 

Yuri had heard of notorious criminals who were eccentric, but none of them compared to JJ Leroy.

For starters, JJ was clearly the kind of man who loves himself - a bit too much for his own good, in fact. It was almost absurd how it was apparent that he took pride in being the notorious sky pirate whom many people despised. There was also the matter of the way JJ would treat Yuri. Normally criminals wouldn't even care for their prisoners. But the first thing that JJ wanted Yuri to do was to eat lunch.

It was almost strange to assume that JJ was the same man who caused chaos in Aurel and tried to kidnap a noblewoman.

Still, Yuri kept his stubborn streak. There was no way he would accept the food offered by the sky pirates. He would rather die of starvation.

“Why would I eat that? There could be poison in that thing.” Yuri’s hands were no longer bound behind him, although he still had to wear metal cuffs on his wrists.

“Uh, why would I kill my hostage?” JJ asked.

“Why wouldn't you?” Yuri narrowed his eyes at JJ suspiciously. “And even if it's not poison, it can be some kind of drug…”

JJ stared at his prisoner in disbelief. “Did you just assume that I’m planning to violate you?”

Yuri’s face went red, his expression a combination of embarrassment and rage. “No! Like hell I would think of something like that - that's unheard of!”

JJ smirked. “I don't drug people to get into their pants. I _seduce_ them. Now, eat the food, will you?”

“Hell no.” Yuri answered firmly. He was scandalized by what the captain said - _how could he accept anything from this despicable, not to mention perverted man?_

JJ heaved an exhausted sigh. “Celestials, what a stubborn guy. Look, it's not like I'm getting anything from harming you, so you can eat that food without worrying about dying immediately after. I'm leaving this here.” He left the food tray on the floor, just right beside Yuri. JJ went out and locked the room afterwards.

Yuri sighed. He wondered why he was taken away instead of Mila. The events of the kidnapping were a vague memory, like blurred visions in his mind.

 _Well, at least she's safe,_ he said to himself.

He pulled out of his thoughts by a small cry. It was more like a meow, in fact. He glanced around the room to find the source of the sound.

Yuri discovered that the sound was coming from underneath the bed. He looked under and found himself delightfully surprised.

A cute fluffy ball was moving under the bed, and it was the most adorable thing that Yuri has encountered in the airship. It was a cat, with soft, cream-colored fur, save parts of its ears, paws and face which were like mischievously dipped in ink.

“Oh,” Yuri gasped. “Oh, you sweet little thing…”

The cat meowed, and Yuri reached out his hands to lure him out of the bed. The cat endearingly crawled into Yuri’s arms.

“Are you imprisoned here, too?” Yuri whispered. “Did those baddies take you too? You poor thing.”

The cat wriggled out of Yuri’s embrace and jumped down. It immediately went for the food left by JJ.

“No, don't eat that,” Yuri warned but the creature didn't listen. The cat greedily lapped the soup on the food tray. Yuri waited for a moment – for signs of poisoning or drugging – but the cat seemed just fine.

“You okay?” Yuri asked worryingly. “You're not poisoned or anything?”

“Potya! Where are you?”

All of a sudden, JJ came back and opened the door. He glanced around, searching frantically. His blue eyes went to the cat which was eating soup. Little Potya glanced at the sky pirate for a moment, and meowed as if he was acknowledging JJ's arrival.

“By the celestials, Potya, you had me worried,” JJ breathed a sigh of relief. “I almost thought you fell off the airship.”

The cat looked upon the pirate captain's face and meowed, as if in reply. JJ smiled, as if he understood.

Yuri glanced at them both in sheer disbelief. “This cat is your pet?” he asked JJ.

JJ gave him a look. “Potya is a reliable friend.”

Yuri fell silent.

“Very well,” JJ smiled at him. “I’ll just leave Potya to have lunch with you. You seem to enjoy each other's company.”

Yuri watched the sky pirate captain leave and shut the door. Potya meowed once more, as if to invite the nobleman to eat.

There's no way Yuri would refuse that request.

* * *

 

 

JJ was relieved. Thanks to Potya, Yuri felt a little more comfortable in the airship. He had no idea why he even cared for the accidental captive, but he was just glad that Yuri was getting better.

“JJ,” Seung-Gil met the pirate captain at the hallway. “Have you found Potya yet?”

JJ nodded. “He is playing host to our noble guest.”

Seung-Gil's eyes widened. “Are you sure that it's alright to leave him with the hostage?”

“Yuri seems to like Potya, so I guess it's fine.” JJ shrugged.

Seung-Gil sighed. “If that's what you think. Anyway, we’re close to Bhuta Isles now.”

“Great! We’ll meet Yuuri and the rest of the gang at the camp.”

* * *

 

 

Yuri had already eaten half of the food he was sharing with Potya when he felt the airship come into a halt. The sudden switch from movement to a sudden stop was a familiar feeling. The sky pirates landed somewhere.

The door opened, and there was the cambiante whom Yuri loathed. There was something about this person that made him feel the need to guard himself. The mismatched eye colors, one obsidian and one fiery gold, made him more intimidating. Not that Yuri would ever admit that.

“Get up,” Seung-Gil told Yuri. “We're going somewhere.”

“And where would that be?” Yuri asked. There's no way he would go anywhere with these sky pirates.

“You're a captive, not exactly a guest; you don't have to know.” Seung-Gil grabbed Yuri's arm and pulled him up, before dragging him out of the room. Potya meowed in protest, but the cambiante ignored the cat.

Yuri reluctantly followed Seung-Gil as they got out of the room and walked down the maze of steel and pipelines throughout the ship. It wasn't long until they got up to the deck where JJ stood together with the pilot and the other members of the crew.

It was a nice, bright day, and so Yuri was able to have a clear view of the _Reina_. It was an old fashioned airship designed after the old ships that used to sail the waters, but with an enormous white balloon on top along with a pair of wings and a tail containing three propellers, which gave Yuri the impression of a huge fish back in Aurel.

Yuri looked outside. He could see the sky around him, but to his right he saw a creek, and behind it the lush green forest. There was something about the woods that filled Yuri with wonder. The place seemed like a dream, but its silence - there was no sound indicating life, just the sound of the calm stream - gave a warning to anyone that wishes to enter.

“Welcome to Bhuta Isles,” JJ introduced the magical place as if he owned it. “Well, just one of its many isles.”

“The camp’s nearby,” said Emil. “Let's go!”

* * *

 

 

Otabek issued some orders to the pilot as he planned on how to capture JJ Leroy and his crew.

“Chances are they're still within the Empire,” Otabek told Leo and his trusted soldiers. “They're probably making preparations for the trip. They need to be equipped so that they'll last until they make it to the border.”

The Admiral unrolled the map, which showed the area of Nikiforov Empire and the kingdoms and city-states that were surrounding it. To the north was the city-state of Arkos, a neutral land known for its freezing climate. To the west was the oasis kingdom of Shantigo, whose Sultanate was an infamous rival of the Empire. To the east was the kingdom of Rozarrio, an ally. Lastly were the Downlands which were literally just beneath the Nikiforov Empire.

“If we are to base on the time of the pirates’ departure from the city, they are likely going to reach Shantigo in two weeks.”

The soldiers were surprised by this prediction.

“Pardon my question, Admiral,” an elderly captain spoke. “But wouldn't it be more sensible for them to go to the Downlands? Shantigo is clearly the opposite of the direction in which the airship was last seen going.”

“That's what they want us to think,” Otabek answered. He seemed more animated at times like this - when he was planning for strategies and predicting the actions of his enemies. “The Downlands is the hub of all sky pirates, and everyone knows that. Even us. What JJ wants is a safe haven; there's a possibility that he will seek refuge in a place which the Imperial Army wouldn't dare venture so recklessly.

“And as we all know, Shantigo's royal family has a longtime grudge against the Emperor. The Chulanont Sultanate will never yield JJ Leroy, just to spite on us.”

“Not only that,” Leo added, “crossing the border of Shantigo is not going to be easy.”

Otabek nodded in agreement. “Shantigo is surrounded by a vast dry desert, with heavy sandstorms occurring at the border almost all the time. It will be nearly impossible for us to cross the desert. JJ, however, would certainly do that without hesitation.”

“But that's reckless!” A lady soldier interjected.

“That's typical of JJ,” Otabek told her. “Always doing reckless things. But he won't do anything without proper preparation, that's for certain.” he glanced at the elderly captain. “I remember reading in the reports that JJ has a powerful _cambiante_ with him. Chances are high that they'll make use of his abilities when they reach the border.”

“So we need to get ahead of them before they get there,” Leo mused. “I’ll try to speed up the _Leviathan_ , but I cannot promise anything.”

“It's alright,” Otabek told him. “Just do your best. I know I can always count on you.”

“Admiral!”

Otabek turned to face the voice that just yelled. Guanghong Ji was standing at the doorway of the operations room. The young soldier was panting, as if he rushed to the room in a hurry.

“Admiral,” Guanghong repeated after regaining his breath. “We have a problem. About the supplies…”

Otabek scrunched up his brows in confusion. “Are there any supplies missing?”

Guanghong shook his head. “On the contrary, sir, we have an extra package…”

* * *

 

 

Otabek and Leo followed Guanghong into the supplies room, where they store food and other essentials for their journey.

“Why is it that you only request for me to see this?” Otabek asked.

“I - I have no idea, Admiral,” Guanghong replied. “I just think...that this is a matter that needs to remain clandestine for now…”

The three of them reached the supplies room. Guanghong swallowed hard before he rushed to open the door.

Inside, the room was filled with stacks of boxes that contained various things. Everything seemed normal and in place. Except for one thing.

Standing in the midst of the supplies room was a woman, her red, shoulder length hair untied and disheveled, and her blue eyes were wide in surprise. Her clothes were far from the usually elegant dresses she was wearing. She was now donning a loose white shirt, a pair of traveler pants and leather boots.

Otabek was rarely the kind of man to be surprised. Then again, whenever there was such an emotion flooding through him, it was always caused by her.

“Mila?” that was all that he could say to her.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, Otabek didn't see that coming lol.
> 
> Just got back from vacation. Hence I still got some editing to do after publishing this.
> 
> There'll be the other YOI characters in the next chapters, so I hope you look forward to meeting them. Also, let me know what you think of the story so far.
> 
> <3


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> JJ and the crew brings Yuri into their headquarters.

The Bhuta Isles were a group of about one hundred and fifty floating islands located in the western part of the Nikiforov Empire. It served as home to hundreds of exotic plants and astonishingly unique wildlife. It was one of those places which deserved praise and admiration, with its lush greenery adding color to the clear blue and white sky.

However, throughout the years the islands gained a bad reputation due to the rumors spreading around. It was said that the entire place, being mysteriously quiet and containing thick forests that barely allow any light to shine through, became the residence for different types of monsters. It was for this reason that the isles were rarely visited by anyone.

Perhaps this was the reason why JJ chose to set up camp in one of the islands. It was a risky move which would definitely put him and his crew in danger, but everyone agreed to the plan. Hence, Bhuta Isles became their temporary hideout within the Empire's territory.

The _Reina_ was anchored at a nearby cliff, subtly hidden from any airship that may pass by. JJ and his crew members packed up and got ready to go to their camp.

“Yuri-chan,” JJ spoke to his prisoner amiably. “Come walk beside me.”

Yuri scoffed. “What makes you think I’ll do as you say?”

“You’re going to carry Potya as we go to the camp.”

 _Shit_ , Yuri thought, tempted by the idea. _That wasn't a bad deal._

As much as he despised JJ and the sky pirates, Yuri decided that walking while carrying Potya in his arms was a brief moment of relief during such trying times just like today. Potya reminded him of his pet cat Evgenia back at home.

The cat seemed to enjoy his company as well. Potya was meowing approvingly at Yuri while rubbing its furry little head against his chest.

Yuri and the sky pirates ventured into the woods in two lines. JJ and the others were carrying sacks that contained numerous items: food and clothing, loot from their victims and a bunch of tools which Yuri noted as something used by a machinist.

It wasn't the first time that he had been to a forest. Yuri remembered going into the wilderness with his grandfather when he was merely a toddler. They would search for plants which may have healing properties, or observe a certain species of animals for a behavioral study. Thus the sight of Bhuta Isles’ fantastic environment hit Yuri with a sudden feeling of longing and desire to go home. But he shook his head to get rid of the emotions he felt. Being lonely won't help him find a way to escape.

Seung-Gil was leading the way. He was holding a map and a compass. “We need to cross another river from here,” he told everyone.

Yuri observed the _cambiante_ quietly. Seung-Gil was clearly the most capable man among the crew members, and his devotion to JJ was undeniable. And despite his grumpy attitude towards Yuri there was no doubt that the _cambiante_ was a handsome young man, with his hair reminiscent of a black wave of silk, while his face - the scar on the right side of his face only gave him more character, and the living fire in his right eye only made him preternaturally beautiful.

It was clear that Seung-Gil has everything to capture anyone's attention - even JJ's. Yuri could not help but wonder if the two were actually lovers.

“Be careful, Yuri-chan. You might trip over the roots.”

Yuri barely heard that warning. It was too late: his left foot got caught in the root of a thick old tree. He fell down face first onto the ground, but not before he was able to avoid pinning Potya with his body.

“See? I told you.” Yuri could sense that JJ was smiling and it pissed him off.

“Shut the fuck up.”

“My, what a rude nobleman you are. Here, let me help you.” JJ reached out a hand to help Yuri stand up, but the blond lad slapped it away and got up on his own.

Seung-Gil glared at Yuri. “Hurry up. We don't want to waste time here because of your clumsiness.”

The blatant insult made Yuri’s face turn red with anger as he glared at Seung-Gil. Somehow he felt that there was more to those words. Yuri knew that Seung-Gil was mocking him on purpose while maintaining his usually expressionless look, although he wasn't certain why the _cambiante_ would do such a thing.

Seung-Gil eyed him imperiously in return. At this point it was pretty clear to Yuri that their dislike towards each other was very mutual.

“Ah.” JJ, on the other hand, didn't seem to notice the animosity between the two. However, he did notice the wound on Yuri’s knee. “It's bleeding. Let's patch that up.”

“I'm fine,” Yuri spoke defensively. He could feel the stinging pain on his knee, but there was no way he would seek the help of an enemy, especially his kidnapper.

“No,” JJ insisted. “That's a bad idea if you're in here. Have you any idea how dangerous an infection could be?” He knelt down and took out a roll of gauze and a small bottle of salve from the sack which he had been carrying. “Seung, you can go ahead with the others.”

Seung-Gil eyed JJ in disbelief. “Are you serious?”

“Yes,” JJ replied. “Don't worry, we will follow you as soon as I'm finished tending to his wound.”

“I said I'm fine,” Yuri said stubbornly.

“Sit down, Yuri-chan, your wound needs some tender loving care from the great JJ Leroy.” JJ flashed a dashing smile which annoyed the blond nobleman.

Seung-Gil frowned.

“Do what you want,” he spoke to JJ rather angrily, before he turned on his heel and walked away. Emil and the rest of the crew followed him.

 

* * *

 

 

Emil rushed to Seung-Gil's side, and it was not an easy task as the _cambiante_ was walking away at a very quick pace. The airship pilot had to catch his breath while talking to him.

“Are you sure about leaving them?” Emil asked worryingly. “JJ gets lost easily -”

“That's _his_ problem, not mine,” Seung-Gil answered. He was clearly furious, and his right eye seemed to shine brighter in anger.

At times when Seung-Gil was mad, it was always ideal not to initiate an interaction.

* * *

 

Yuri watched the rest of the crew leave. Seung-Gil seemed mad - more like downright furious - because JJ decided to help him out instead of leaving together with the rest of the crew. Somehow the thought of it made Yuri feel better, especially after Seung-Gil had insulted him. Still, that was not enough for him to appreciate JJ having to treat to his wound. After all, Yuri was a proud young man. And no matter how kind JJ was, that would not change the fact that he was a criminal wanted by the Empire.

“It's just a scratch,” Yuri told JJ impatiently. “What's taking you so long?”

JJ remained silent, expressive brows furrowed in concentration as he took a good look at Yuri's bleeding knee. He then took a bottle of water out of his sack and began his surprisingly thorough medication.

Yuri felt the stinging pain as water was poured on the gaping wound. He inevitably gasped, surprised. The sky pirate stared at him apologetically.

“Sorry. Does it hurt that much?” The look on JJ’s face was so sincere and endearing, quite contrary to his reputation as a knave.

Yuri’s face flushed in embarrassment. “I'm fine,” he muttered as he avoided the pirate’s gaze.

JJ proceeded with treating the wound. He slowly and gently rubbed the skin with his thumb. “Please endure it for a while. This won't take long.”

Yuri gradually felt a strange feeling of warmth within, slowly turning the pain into something pleasant. But it did not last for long as the warm sensation was changed into the cold feeling given by the water used to cleanse his knee.

“There you go,” JJ finished cleansing and proceeded to putting salve on the wound. “This is made by Seung-Gil; it's so effective that your wound won't even leave a scar.” He carefully applied the medicine on Yuri's knee as he spoke.

Yuri watched as the sky pirate treated his wound. Being observant was a trait which he had inheritedfrom his grandfather. It seemed almost inevitable for Yuri to gaze at a person simply out of curiosity. And as much as he wanted to deny it, JJ Leroy was an ideal specimen to observe.

JJ, despite being a kidnapper and a criminal and an annoying sort of character, was admittedly a good-looking guy. His hair was dark like the feathers of a crow, and his eyes reminded Yuri of the fickle sky - one moment they were clearly blue and mirthful, but every now and then they became dark grey and gave off the feeling of danger.

If Seung-Gil has one eye that has captured the sun’s flame, JJ has eyes which captured the calm before a storm.

 _It would be understandable if he had his long line of lovers, both women and men,_ Yuri thought. _Surely that cambiante's loyalty to him has to be more than just about being his first mate._

“You seem to enjoy the view,” JJ smirked, and Yuri realized that he had been staring at him for too long.

“W-what view?” Yuri’s cheeks went red.

“My face, obviously,” JJ chuckled.

“I see nothing but an annoying smug look on your face.” Yuri glared at the sky pirate. JJ simply laughed at his remark.

“Alright, we’re good to go,” JJ stood up. He reached out his hand once again.

This time, Yuri accepted it. Not that he was grateful or anything.

* * *

 

As an experienced and venerable soldier, one of the things that Otabek would never allow was to get caught off guard. The battlefield was a harsh place; one second wherein you lose focus and you might lose your life as well.

Sadly, being alert was something he tends to fail at whenever Mila Babicheva was concerned.

For instance, Otabek never expected to find Mila in the supplies room of his airship, the Leviathan, during one of his most important missions. It turned out that Mila, for some unknown reason, had been made aware of the fact that the Admiral has been sent out to find JJ Leroy and save Yuri Plisetsky.

The situation was so unexpected that Otabek was speechless for an entire minute.

“Admiral,” Guanghong was panicking due to the unexpected turn of events. “What are we going to do?”

Mila raised her chin as she spoke in a demanding manner – quite typical of a spoiled noblewoman. “Just so you know, I won't leave this ship even if you drag me out of here.”

Hearing the lady's voice immediately made Otabek realize that he was not daydreaming. “What are you doing here?”

Mila sounded indignant. “My,” she said. “Did you just assume that I would just sit down and wait for my demise as a useless bride back in that city? Knowing that you are leaving without a word, risking your life to save a friend? You, Admiral Otabek Altin, should know better!”

Both Leo and Guanghong were astounded by the way she fearlessly scolded one of the Empire's strongest and most intimidating men.

Otabek remained silent; he was still trying to cope up with the current situation.

“Ah, after having to go through all that hell by hiding in one of those cramped boxes!” Mila glanced around the room, the look of disgust written all over her lovely face.

“Admiral,” Leo whispered. “If the Emperor finds out about this -”

“Come with me, Milady,” Otabek told Mila. “We need to talk in private.”

Otabek immediately removed his coat and covered Mila. Glancing at Leo and Guanghong, he said, “The Emperor shouldn’t be informed of this until I give the word.”

Both Leo and Guanghong nodded in agreement.

Otabek held Mila’s hand as he took her out of the supplies room and brought her into his sleeping quarters. It has a simple bedroom and an office where he would usually do some paperwork whenever the battalion has to travel.

Luckily, the Admiral had the room all to himself, thus giving him the privacy he needed at that moment.

“Mila,” Otabek began. “Have you any idea how dangerous the situation could be – “

His words were cut short the moment Mila pulled him into a kiss. Otabek held her close, as if his body was designed to automatically do so. For a moment he forgot his worries, his fear that they would be discovered; he had missed her too much. He missed the softness of her lips, the silky feeling of her red hair in his fingers, and the warmth of her skin.

 _Why can’t I hold you for the rest of my life?_ He thought longingly.

Mila pulled back, reluctantly, as if she did not want to part with him as well.

“I know you’re angry,” she said. “But I can’t just stay still knowing that you might not come back.”

“Mila, I am not angry,” Otabek gently held her shoulders as if to assure her. “But I am worried. What you did was just dangerous.”

“I know,” Mila frowned. “I just can’t stand being left behind. And I don’t want to spend my days in Aurel knowing that I’m about to be betrothed to someone I don’t even love…”

“Still, you shouldn’t have run away,” Otabek spoke in a firm tone. “I’ll take you back – “

“No,” Mila insisted. She wrapped her arms around him; Otabek was much easier to persuade this way. “I’m not going back there. I'm staying here with you.”

Otabek felt his heart waver, but he shook his head in disagreement. “Mila, you can’t stay here, it’s dangerous.”

His heart broke upon seeing the look on his lover's beautiful face. Mila’s clear blue eyes were holding back tears - tears of sadness and anger at their situation, at how they're so close yet so far from one another.

“I swear to the celestials, Otabek, if you dare bring me back to Aurel,” Mila’s voice was shaking in anger as she spoke to him. “I would go find those sky pirates and let them take me away instead.”

Otabek frowned. He knew very well when his lover could get serious. “Mila! Don’t you dare make contact with Jean-Jacques Leroy.”

“I’m choosing the lesser evil,” Mila replied. “At least I have the opportunity to bribe sky pirates. Do you think I can bribe my cousin to get me out of my hellish engagement? I highly doubt it.”

Otabek fell silent. Mila added:

“As much as I want to rely on you, dearest, it seems that I shall have to achieve my freedom on my own.”

The Admiral could not say anything in reply. After all, nobody knows the Emperor better than his own family.

* * *

 

Seung-Gil remained silent throughout the rest of the journey to their hideout. His mind was clouded with anger - towards the rude blond captive, towards the rude blond captive's clumsiness, towards the rude blond captive's attitude towards JJ.

He was angry at JJ too. Seung-Gil was mad because the captain treated the captive as a special visitor. It was annoying, the way JJ takes care of the brat. It was as if Yuri mattered to him.

 _We should have thrown him off the ship,_ Seung-Gil thought darkly. _He wasn't what we were looking for anyway, so why do we have to keep him?_

Only the calming sound of rushing water dragged him back to reality. There was the river which he had mentioned a while ago. It was blue and crystal clear, and gave the serenity that Seung-Gil badly needed at that time.

He stepped into the water - the river was knee-deep - and began to waddle to the other side. Emil and the others followed suit. Once the sky pirates crossed the river they entered another dense tropical forest.

Wild plants and fruit trees surrounded them, gracing their path with exotic beauty. Seung-Gil was glad that it was a bright and sunny day; it gave him time to enjoy the fantastic view and take his mind off the stressful matters going on in his life.

At last, the crew members have reached their destination. A narrow rocky passageway led them to a hidden cave – an old mine hidden behind a waterfall. It was probably constructed by the people of the Empire, who only assumed that they could find expensive minerals and never saw the danger that surrounded the islands. Humans only left the place after a series of deaths due to monster attacks.

The mines were still intact. It was a maze of tunnels and caverns under the earth, some of which were built to become offices and sleeping quarters for the workers. Small homes carved onto the face of the earth, providing shelter and comfort. The sky pirates used these rooms for their own benefit. There were more than enough rooms for everyone that Seung-Gil even had his own laboratory located at the topmost area of the cave, complete with a makeshift chimney that helps emit all the gases from his experiments.

The place provided water and shelter for the sky pirates and most importantly, it gave them security from various threats. It became their new home for the meantime.

“Finally!” Emil spoke in relief. He amiably greeted the pirates who were guarding the hideout. “How’s everything here? Where are Yuuri and Minami?”

“They’re out hunting as usual,” one of the crew members answered. “Where’s the captain?”

Emil shrugged. “Who knows?”

Everyone laughed.

“Is he lost again?”

“Maybe Yuuri and Minami will find him by accident.”

“That’ll be funny.” Emil laughed. “Why don't we make a bet?”

There were loud cheers among the rowdy pirates. They were all used to the captain and his misadventures. The sky pirates have been with JJ for a long time, so much that they could only joke around whenever their captain was certainly going to get into trouble. It was such a common occurrence to wait for JJ to come back, spending their time waiting and having fun.

Seung-Gil, on the other hand, quietly entered the cave and went to bed. He was theone who had been with JJ the most, but he was the least amused at the situation.

He was still angry.

* * *

 

“Are we lost?”

“What? No! Don't you trust me?”

JJ heard nothing but silence.

“You don't trust me,” he said in disappointment.

It has been hours since JJ and Yuri last saw Seung-Gil and the rest of the crew members. It was already afternoon - not that they could tell, with the little amount of light entering the woods.

At this point Yuri knew that they were truly lost. He was fuming with anger. “How could you be so confident that you can catch up with your crew if you don't even carry a map? Ugh, no wonder that _cambiante_ left you behind!”

“Now, calm down Yuri-chan,” JJ glanced around, feigning a confident look to hide his nerves. “Everything is going to be just fine…”

Potya growled, making the sky pirate flinch.

“See?! Even the cat is angry at you!” Yuri yelled in frustration.

“I can see why you two get along very well,” JJ said dryly.

“Seriously,” Yuri said in frustration, “it's a surprise that your crew hasn't planned a mutiny against you before.”

JJ grinned confidently. “I'm too charismatic to be betrayed by anyone.”

Yuri gave him a look. “That annoying smirk is getting into my nerves.”

“I can't do anything about that.”

“Ugh.” Yuri rolled his eyes in disbelief. He found it hard to believe that the idiot walking in front of him was actually the leader of a group that caused a great disturbance to the Empire just days ago. The way JJ was trying to remain cool despite their current situation was annoying. It was only giving Yuri the impression that the sky pirate was nothing but a mere showoff.

Nevertheless, Yuri knew very well that getting mad would do him nothing good. “Look, let's just go back to the airship,” he suggested. “We can just trace our steps - “

“Ssh.” JJ glanced at him and held a finger to his lips. “We’ve got company.”

Yuri kept his lips pursed, alarmed by the warning. He held Potya close, as if it will help protect themselves from whatever was about to come.

With the entire forest being eerily quiet, it was easy to notice the sounds that may occur, no matter how loud it could be. What they heard was the sound of heavy footsteps - so heavy, that the sound resembled the beating of a huge drum. It was clear that whatever was making that sound was certainly something huge. And more importantly, it was coming their way.

“We need to move!” JJ dragged Yuri by his side, just in time to get out of the way of an enormous creature running at full speed.

* * *

 

 

JJ and Yuri barely moved out of the way of a raging creature. The two of them ended up tumbling over a log and falling onto the moist ground.

Yuri quickly got up, scared of crushing Potya beneath him. Fortunately cat seemed fine. JJ, however, rolled over and gasping in pain.

“By the celestials, Yuri-chan, you sure are heavy,” JJ commented. He slowly got up, and glanced at the way the creature went. “Of all things, why an elaphas?”

“That was an elaphas?” Yuri asked, astounded. He had only read about the humongous creature in the encyclopedia. Elaphas are bigger than the elephants commonly seen nowadays, but are twice faster. They could practically bulldoze through obstacles, crushing anything or anyone unfortunate enough to end up getting in their way.

“Don't be so amazed,” JJ told him. “That thing almost squashed us into a pulp. You're lucky that I pulled you out of its way.”

Yuri gave him an unimpressed look. “Yeah. Whatever.”

“What, not even a word of thanks from you?” JJ spoke in a sulky tone.

“No.” Yuri glowered at him.

“Aww.” JJ feigned a hurt expression, much to the blonde’s annoyance.

“Are you guys okay?!”

JJ and Yuri looked upon a dark haired man, who was clad in a brown waistcoat over a loose white shirt and a pair of tattered black pants and leather boots. He was holding a hunting rifle and was carrying a short spear on his back.

“Yuuri!” JJ’s face brightened up, grateful to encounter one of his own crew members. Yuri arched his eyebrows, mildly surprised to find someone who shares the same name as him.

“Captain!” Yuuri looked baffled. “Why are you here?”

“Oh, you know, nothing important – “ JJ shrugged. “Just felt like taking a stroll in the woods - “

“We got fucking lost,” Yuri spoke tersely.

“That's a rather harsh way of putting it,” JJ grimaced.

“Ah, then you can come with me. I know the way home.” Yuuri smiled. “Oh, but we need to catch up with Minami first.”

“Minami? Where is he?” JJ asked.

Yuuri scratched the back of his head. “Well…” he paused, finding the right words to say. It gave JJ and Yuri a feeling of apprehension.

“Minami he is...well, he is riding the elaphas right now.”

* * *

 

JJ has always been proud of his crew. Among his group of a hundred men were remarkable individuals: there was the genius engineer and his first mate Seung-Gil, and the skilled pilot Emil who has already mastered _Reina’s_ movements like they were his own.

And then he had his two gifted huntsmen, both inhuman for their unique abilities.

Yuuri Katsuki was a man who gave the impression of a meek individual, the kind who would seem to have an ordinary profession - an apprentice of a merchant, a clerk, a servant to a noble. Not one would imagine him to be a brilliant marksman, and extremely proficient at using a variety of weapons at close range.

And then there was Minami Kenjirou, a young man aspiring to become a pirate captain himself. He was an energetic youth, blessed by the wind that helped him move so swiftly.

For some reason, these two had decided to take down an enormous monster all on their own.

“What in the world are you hunting an elaphas for?!” JJ yelled while he and the two Yuris were running after the creature rampaging throughout the woods.

“We're hoping to make some jerky, so that we have enough food for our journey!” Yuuri replied.

Yuri glanced at the huntsman, horrified. “You're gonna kill that creature?!”

“Hey, it's a human thing,” JJ told the blonde. “We kill people and monsters, we kill animals and plants. It's always been that way. Heck, you should know it the most: your Empire murdered hundreds of people without shedding a tear, remember?”

He had spoken so indifferently, but there was bitterness in those words. It struck Yuri so hard that he felt a pang of guilt in his chest. The sky pirate was right.

“Yuuri-saaaaaaaan!” They heard Minami shout out loud. The young man was hanging on top of the wild animal. The elaphas kept on shaking its enormous head in an effort to throw him off, but to no avail. Minami was able to cling onto the creature because he kept a tight hold on a pair of hooked knives which he had driven through its neck.

Yuuri raised his rifle, and aimed it at the elaphas. He subtly moved the barrel to the left and fired.

The elaphas wailed in agony as it felt the bullet graze its left side. The creature swerved right, and it was then that Yuri realized that the huntsman did not directly fire at the elaphas on purpose. They were luring it somewhere.

They continued running after the elaphas, which by now leaving a trail of dark red blood all over the ground. Even Minami was already bathed in crimson, but he still kept his hold on the knives. The hooked blades were piercing deeper, so much that the painful groans of the creature was deafening. Yuri felt like dropping Potya and placing his hands over his ears.

They reached a ravine. Yuuri fired once again, this time he shot the elaphas's leg, drilling into a vital vein with impressive accuracy. The creature gave out a loud noise which certainly shook the entire island. Minami dealt the final blow by forcefully pulling his hook knives out of the creature's neck and sinking them one last time onto its flesh.

The elaphas gave its one final cry before it dropped dead into the ravine. Minami jumped off of its back and retrieved his bloody knives from its back. Bits of flesh clung onto the stained blades, and the sight of them made Yuri double over in disgust.

Of course, JJ would be the first to take note of this behavior. “You’ll get used to it, Yuri-chan,” he said laughing.

“Whew, that was a troublesome one,” Minami spoke while rubbing sweat off his forehead with the sleeve of his bloodied shirt.

Minami, with his small and lithe frame, along with his honey blond hair with a streak of deep red fringe, was the kind of person that gave off the aura of a youthful man. He seemed cheerful despite the fact that he has just taken down a huge creature a while ago.

“Don't do that again,” Yuuri told Minami. “You got us worried!”

“Eh? Us?” Minami glanced around and finally realized that JJ and Yuri were also there. “Captain! Glad to see that you’re back!”

JJ folded his arms across his chest. “Did you just put yourself head first into trouble again?”

“Sorry,” Minami answered sheepishly.

Yuuri sighed. “Very well. We need to bring this food home. Bring some of our crew members here.”

“O-kay!” Minami gave a cheerful salute in return. He left immediately afterwards, running away just like the elaphas did, if not faster. He was out of their sight in just a few seconds.

Minami came back an hour later, together with Emil and at least ten crew members who brought a huge cart with them.

“Wow, Yuuri and Minami did find you,” Emil told JJ, who gave him a look.

“Were you making bets again?”

“Of course.”

JJ looked past the head pilot of his crew. “Where's Seung-Gil?”

“He’s back at the camp, sleeping.”

“Very well,” JJ turned to Yuuri. “Let's take the game back to the camp and celebrate.”

Yuuri nodded in agreement. Minami and the other pirates cheered; they always like it when their captain initiates a feast.

* * *

 

Seung-Gil was already awake when JJ, Yuri and the rest of the sky pirates came back. Yuuri and Minami quickly proceeded with cutting up their game. Minami efficiently skinned the elaphas with his knives, while Yuuri divided the parts and chopped the meat into thin strips. The other crew members built a bonfire which Yuuri used to cook some dinner.

By nightfall, everyone was getting merry as a feast was held. Wine was poured and food was served; happy men sang and danced and joked with each other. For a moment even Yuri felt like enjoying as well. He shared his food with Potya who was resting on his lap.

“You seem to be having a great time.”

JJ sat beside Yuri, holding a cup of wine. The sky pirate’s face was flushed, and he had a blissful look on his face which made the blonde feel a tad suspicious.

“You're drunk,” Yuri narrowed his eyes at JJ, who chuckled in response.

“Better me than Seung-Gil. You wouldn't want to drink with him.”

“Ugh.” Yuri said in disgust. _As if I would even drink together with that guy._

“But seriously,” JJ smiled at him. “I'm glad to see you're having a great time. Enjoying our company now? I can always accept new crew members. Especially beautiful blondes like you.”

Yuri rolled his eyes. JJ was definitely wasted. “How many bottles of wine have you drunk already?”

“Why would you want to know? Are you worried about me?” JJ moved closer, but he was hindered by Potya. The cat leapt from Yuri’s lap jumped onto JJ's face, scratching his nose ferociously.

“Ow! Hey!”

Yuri could not stifle his laughter.

JJ grabbed Potya and firmly held the struggling cat in his arms. Amidst the noise of his fellow pirates he became quiet, eager to listen to that laughter. It turned out that his blond captive was a wonderful sight to behold. Yuri’s emerald eyes twinkled in delight, rosy lips curling into a fascinating smile.

“Well, aren't you a really gorgeous fellow,” those were the words that inevitably escaped JJ's lips. After all, once drunk, he was more honest than ever.

Yuri stopped laughing. He gazed at the pirate captain quizzically. Was JJ still flirting under the influence of alcohol, or was he honestly praising him? It was hard to tell.

“JJ.”

Seung-Gil appeared, disturbing the silence that befell Yuri and JJ. The pirate captain turned around to face him.

“Seung!” JJ slurred. “My irreplaceable first mate! What do you want?”

Seung-Gil folded his arms across his chest. He briefly glanced at Yuri before he spoke to JJ. “We need to talk. In private.”

* * *

 

Far from the merriment, JJ followed Seung-Gil into his makeshift laboratory. The cave room was a bit crowded with books, bottles of fluids and machine spare parts, quite reminiscent of the _cambiante’s_ room in the airship.

“You seem so serious, Seung,” JJ spoke jokingly. “Why? You should enjoy the night as well, for this will be our last stay within Nikiforov Empire.”

“I know that,” Seung-Gil replied coldly. He leant against the edge of a wooden desk littered with different pieces of metal. “That's why I wanted to talk to you.”

JJ arched his eyebrows in confusion. “About what?”

Seung-Gil heaved a sigh.

“About that blond captive, Yuri,” he began. “What are you gonna do about him?”

JJ thought for a moment. “That thought hasn’t occurred in my mind just yet.*

“You should,” Seung-Gil told him. “You should think about what's best for your crew sometimes.”

“Now, Seung, what you said hurts me. I always care about my boys.”

“That's not what I meant, JJ.”

At this, the captain got even more confused.

“What are you trying to say?” JJ asked.

Seung-Gil's eyes, gleaming golden amber and obsidian black, stared at JJ calculatingly. He was quiet for a while, as if whatever he was about to say was something that would put a heavy burden on the captain.

“I want that captive to be left behind,” he spoke in a tone that was resolute, it made JJ stare at the _cambiante_ in disbelief. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To keep Yuri or not? That's for Captain Leroy to decide ;)
> 
> Things are about to become more fun as they fly to the kingdom of Shantigo. Especially when Phichit makes an appearance. *insert chaos here*
> 
> Please leave a comment or kudos uwu *grovels before you dear readers*


	4. Chapter 4

JJ stared at Seung-Gil in disbelief. Throughout the years that they have been together as part of the same crew of sky pirates, he never thought that he would hear such a suggestion from him. Seung-Gil has always been a strategist, a schemer – but he never expected that the _cambiante_ would go this far.

“Seung-Gil!” JJ surprised himself by raising his voice; he sobered up immediately.

Seung-Gil flinched for a second, startled by JJ’s outburst. “It's a sensible idea,” he said defensively.

“Yes, and a cruel one at that. Why leave anyone here?” JJ could not believe how angry he felt. He could see it in the eyes of his first mate; Seung-Gil's eyes widened when he yelled at him. The pirate captain realized how much he was against leaving Yuri behind. “We may be outlaws, but that's not how we do things…”

“Taking him to Shantigo won't do us any good,” Seung-Gil insisted. “The Empire will only have more reasons to come after us. The Admiral is probably on his way to hunt us down!”

JJ frowned. Getting angry under the influence of alcohol was giving him a headache. He placed a hand on his forehead, rubbing his temples gingerly as he thought about Seung-Gil's suggestion.

“Let's not talk about this,” he told the _cambiante_. “Not now…”

Seung-Gil noticed the captain's condition. He knew that it was the worst time to tell it, but he could not help but feel uneasy. He noticed the way JJ gazed at the nobleman; he knew very well that JJ has always been fond of beauty. And Seung-Gil could count the number of times that JJ had been hurt because of his fondness towards the beautiful ones.

He won't let him feel that pain again. He will never allow the beautiful nobleman of the Nikiforov Empire to hurt his captain.

“Alright,” Seung-Gil sighed. “I know you need some rest.”

 _I sure do_ , JJ thought. _Actually, I need to take a break from all this mayhem._

“We're going to talk about this tomorrow.” Seung-Gil's words were spoken like an unbreakable promise before he left the captain to ponder alone.

* * *

 

 

Around that time, Yuri Plisetsky was having a moment of crisis of his own. Just when he thought he was finally relieved of drunken Leroy, he ended up having to deal with the other crew members as well. The pirates seemed to have forgotten that he was actually their prisoner; they even tried to drag him into a drinking game, as if he was one of them, as if he was a part of their group. Yuri wasn't sure whether he should be touched or annoyed.

“Come on, you're a man as well, aren't yah?” Emil, once the carefree good guy, was now a wild drunk just like everyone else. “Show them that you can down a barrel of wine!”

“I’m telling you, I can't do that!” Yuri struggled to get away from the bigger man. “I don't really drink!”

“Now, now, Emil,” Yuuri Katsuki, probably the only sober guy at that time, gently coaxed the airship pilot. “Let's not force him to drink.”

“Aww…” Emil pouted childishly. He was sulky for a while, but he immediately went back to his jovial mood. He placed an arm around the huntsman Yuuri. “Well, you can always join us, Yuuri!”

“What? No!” Yuuri protested. It was his turn to struggle out of Emil’s strong grip. “You know that I’m a bad drunk - “

“You're a fun drunk!” Emil laughed. “The last time you drank more than a bottle, you ended up giving the captain a lap dance!”

“I - what?!” Yuuri looked horrified at the revelation. This served as Emil's opportunity to pull him into the crowd of fellow drunken pirates for all-out drinking contest.

Yuri simply watched them from afar. The night was dark and quiet, which made the camp’s bonfire shine brighter and the pirates' voices louder. JJ’s lackeys were clearly all out to celebrate, no holds barred.

He also knew very well that this was the perfect time for him to make an escape; JJ and the _cambiante_ were not around and the rest of the crew were practically too wasted to catch him.

 _Now’s the chance, right?_ Yuri asked himself, albeit doubtfully. _The airship is just somewhere outside the island, it can easily be found. I know how to pilot, surely it won't be so hard to make an escape. Besides, stealing their airship would be a great payback for attempting to kidnap Mila…_

But despite the opportunity at the palm of his hand he remained seated, holding on to Potya as if it was the very shackle keeping him from leaving. The fluffy cat purred in appreciation, and Yuri distractedly stroked its furry head.

“You're planning to keep me here, huh?” Yuri told Potya with a melancholy smile. “Why is it that I lose the will to escape?”

He missed his grandfather. He missed Evgenia and his family. He missed Mila and Otabek, his few friends back at home. But he could not find the courage to leave even if the opportunity was right before him.

Am I scared? I have been to forests before. Why would I be scared now, of all times?

Or maybe it wasn't fear that's keeping me from leaving. What could it be then?

“You're not a girl, are you?”

Yuri looked up and found Minami staring at him curiously. The young huntsman was probably just as old as him, but there was something about him that made people assume that he was younger.

“What did you say?” Kid or not, Yuri would never let anyone call him a girl.

“Well, the captain said that he's gonna bring back a lovely red-haired lady, but you're blond. Are you a girl?” Minami asked innocently.

“No. Do I look like one?” Yuri glowered at the other boy. He had been dealing with these types of people throughout his life; bigger kids used to bully him back at the Academy due to his feminine features. This led to fights, of course, and Mila and Otabek often got involved as well. If it wasn't for Otabek being a formidable fighter and Mila being stronger than a man, Yuri would have gotten in trouble.

“Well, yeah,” Minami spoke bluntly. “I don't mean anything bad, though. I mean, you look prettier than most girls.”

Yuri scowled. “I won't take that as a compliment.”

“Okay. Say, if you're not the one we're looking for, then why did the captain take you?” Minami asked curiously. “Are you his lover - “

“Hell no,” Yuri denied instantly. He could feel his face turn red - just why would anyone assume that he's the lover of a despicable sky pirate?

“That's sad,” Minami pouted. “Even Potya approves of you. Potya is not that sociable, you see.”

Will this kid stop bothering me? Yuri thought anxiously.

“Oye, Minami!” Emil called the huntsman. “Come join us! Yuuri needs motivation!”

“No problem!” Minami grabbed Yuri. “Let's go cheer for Yuri-san!”

“I said I am not joining you guys!”

“Come on, don't be shy!”

“I - oh, fuck it, I don't care anymore…”

 

* * *

 

 

The Leviathan soared through the skies, even at night. It was Otabek's stern command not to let the airship land until they have found JJ Leroy’s airship, unless necessary repairs have to be made.

The Admiral went back to discussing plans with his officers, leaving Mila in his room for the meantime. Aside from Leo and Guanghong, none of the soldiers knew about the lady's infiltration into the ship. Otabek himself was amazed at her stealth; then again, Mila was also trained at the Academy, and she was well-known for defeating numerous bigger and stronger students at that time. She was also a famous troublemaker.

_She’s more than beauty and grace; she is strong, and she is braver than most of the other men I’ve known._

“We’re getting close to the border, Admiral,” one of the soldiers informed. “We still haven't traced the pirate Leroy or his airship.”

“They're probably hiding somewhere,” another soldier suggested.

“Yes, but where? There aren't any floating islands around here. They've probably landed below.”

“Maybe they went to the Downlands after all?”

Otabek gazed at the map placed on the table in front of him. He furrowed his eyebrows in concentration as he tried to predict JJ Leroy’s next move.

Where are you? He asked. Where are you keeping Yura prisoner?

“It's probably here, love.” an elegant hand pointed a location on the map. Otabek almost jumped in surprise as Mila appeared beside him without warning. And clearly everyone else was just as shocked as him upon seeing her.

“What?” Mila glanced at everyone innocently. “I think it makes sense.”

“Mila!” Otabek cried in disbelief. “Didn't I tell you to remain in the sleeping quarters?”

“I got bored,” Mila replied with a shrug. “And they're going to find out that I am here anyway, so why delay the introductions?” She smiled sweetly at the soldiers, who seemed clearly taken aback.

Otabek could not believe what was happening. He had already braced himself for the upcoming bloody battle with him and the pirate JJ Leroy. He expected various problems along the way, but he never expected this. He could only rub his temples, which are now aching because of stress.

“I should have brought you back to Aurel,” he muttered with mild regret in his voice.

Mila ignored that statement. “You know, I was seriously making a suggestion a while ago.” she pointed at the map once again. “This seems to be an empty area, but there's a group of floating islands over...here.”

Otabek watched her as her finger traced the map, from the airship's current location to a blue space to its upper left, close to the border of Shantigo. His eyes widened as he finally realized it.

“The Bhuta Isles,” he said. “Mila, you're a genius.”

Bhuta Isles - one of the Empire's long forgotten territories, it was once a prospective source of minerals. But the place was deemed dangerous for humans later on, as numerous workers died of monster attacks. The Imperial Court proclaimed the islands as cursed and commanded all map makers to remove its existence from all maps. It was for this reason that many people - including him - tend to overlook the location.

Mila smiled mischievously at the Admiral.

“Just what are you going to do without me?” She told him.

Otabek glanced at Leo, who nodded in reply.

“The _Leviathan_ 's running at full speed,” the machinist spoke to the admiral in an assuring tone. “We’ll get to the islands by tomorrow.”

“Good.” There was the look of determination in Otabek’s eyes. Fortune has favored him this time, and he would take this chance to accomplish his mission. “We're going to catch Jean-Jacques Leroy, dead or alive.”

 

* * *

 

 

JJ was the first to wake up the next day. He found himself on a cot - he had no idea how he got there, but he was glad that he managed to make it into his own room. He groggily left his bed and headed outside; he had to make sure no one made a ruckus after he left the party.

Sure enough, the entire place was a mess. Empty bottles and barrels of wine littered the ground, and some wasted crew members were sleeping on the ground, snoring loudly.

Yuri was sleeping there as well. The poor young man was certainly dragged by Emil into drinking, JJ thought affectionately. He brushed the wisps of golden blond hair away from Yuri’s face.

A fairy-like countenance, with long eyelashes touching soft, fair cheeks – there was a certain charm about him that JJ could not help but notice.

Rosy lips let out a gentle breath; he was sleeping soundly, almost like a child. There was no denying how lovely he was. JJ knew it very well; he had been around the world, had already met numerous beautiful people. His standards were high when it comes to physical beauty and only a few men and women had reached them.

But Yuri was something else. JJ had to place him in a different category, as Yuri had met a different set of standards. Or maybe there were no standards needed at all - there was only Yuri alone, and nothing else seemed to matter.

A gentle purring sound pulled JJ out of his reverie. The pirate captain found Potya resting on Yuri’s stomach.

JJ smiled at the feline creature. “You did a great job at keeping him safe and secure throughout the night,” he whispered softly.

“He was the only efficient guard you have last night.”

Yuri was already awake, much to the captain's surprise. The blonde captive opened one eye to stare at JJ suspiciously.

“What are you sitting beside me for?” He asked. He sounded annoyed, probably due to hangover.

JJ grinned from ear to ear in delight, apparently ignoring the question. “I'm surprised that you stayed the night, kitten. Have you finally realized your feelings of true love and undying affection for me?”

Yuri frowned. “The only feelings I have for you right now are undying hatred and irritation.” He got up, slowly, and ignored JJ’s helping hand.

“Very well, kitten,” said the pirate captain, not minding the fact that he was ignored a few seconds ago. “We have to prepare for our journey!”

“What makes you assume that I want to join you in your so called journey?” Yuri asked.

“Well, Shantigo is a beautiful place, and I have a friend over there who would be happy to see me.” JJ grabbed Yuri by the wrist and gently pulled him, much to the blonde’s annoyance. “Now that I have answered your question, let’s take a bath!”

 

* * *

 

 

“What?” Yuri was following the captain before he even realized it. “You're thinking of bathing right now?”

“Of course,” JJ replied. “Trust me on this, Yuri-chan. You're gonna miss the water once we fly to Shantigo.”

“Who says that I am going there with you in the first place?”

There was truly no way to comprehend JJ Leroy and his gestures. Yuri, after being with the infamous sky pirate for a few excruciating days, could still not understand his motives or thoughts. JJ was merely too cheery and too frivolous, not to mention the fact that he was leading a group of men who seemed to be just as weird as he was.

JJ led him to the waterfall. It formed a lovely little pool beneath, connecting to a shallow river that flowed into the woods. The water was cool and clear, and a perfect place for bathing.

The pirate captain wasted no time; he removed his clothes without hesitation, that Yuri was the one who ended up feeling embarrassed.

Yuri tried to avert his gaze, to keep himself from staring - but JJ Leroy was certainly the kind of man who screams for attention from head to toe. There was no denying his handsome face, with his blue eyes and annoyingly easy (and dashing - not that Yuri would ever admit it) smile. But there was also his body - a moderately tall stature, definitely athletic, his tanned skin revealing strong limbs and a well sculpted torso. Black ink painted both of his arms, as well as his lower back. After seeing the tattoo on that part he couldn't help but gaze lower, and at that moment he could feel his face had turned bright red.

“Can I take that stare as you desiring my physical attributes?” JJ spoke. His back was facing him, but Yuri could tell that the captain was wearing an irritating smirk on his face.

“What the hell,” Yuri scoffed. “Has anyone ever told you that you're an insufferable cocky bastard?”

“No,” JJ shook his head. “None that I can remember.” He then turned to face Yuri, and the blonde’s skin turned bright pink, faced flushed as he shyly looked away from him.

“Oh, for celestials’ sake - get into the water already!” Yuri yelled while covering his eyes with his hands.

JJ laughed. “Stop being so embarrassed. You're a man too.” He eyed Yuri from head to toe, and he could not help but smile. “Aren't you going to take your clothes off, Yuri-chan? Do you need my help?”

“You…” Yuri glared at the taller man. “Get in the pool before I choke you with my shackles!”

“Ooh, kinky.” JJ leered, and he was laughing as he jumped into the pool to avoid Yuri swinging his arms at him. “Hah! You need to do better than that!”

Yuri jumped after him, clothes and all. JJ seemed to be enjoying himself, splashing water all over the young nobleman to annoy him further. Yuri fought back by making waves, flailing his arms towards the pirate.

“You're one immature scoundrel!” Yuri shouted as he continued splashing water at him.

“Says the guy who forgot to remove his attire before jumping into the water!” JJ retorted as he counterattacked with more splashes of water.

“You are both immature.”

Both JJ and Yuri glanced at Yuuri, who stood on a rock, watching them with his hands on his hips.

“If only you could see yourselves right now,” Yuuri chuckled. Potya was standing by his foot, growling at JJ.

“I thought you hated the water,” JJ told the cat, speaking again as if they understood each other. “You hate a lot of things, after all.”

“I wonder what makes him stay with you though,” Yuri spoke dryly.

“Oh? Getting all sassy now, aren't we?” JJ pulled the blond nobleman's shirt, tugging it off.

“Hey!”

“Kids take their clothes off before they take a bath.”

“I. Am. Not. A kid!”

 

* * *

 

  

Everyone was already awake by the time JJ and Yuri finished bathing in the pool. Yuri’s clothes were soaked wet, so Minami lent him something to wear.

“You don't have to help me put them on,” Yuri told Minami while they were in one of the cave’s sleeping quarters.

“What, you want our captain to help you out?” Minami replied. “He did help you take your clothes off…”

Yuri blushed. “I can put my clothes on - by myself.”

“Okaaaaay…” Minami raised his hands as if in surrender.

Yuri glanced at the clothes placed on the bed. There was a loose dark green robe, and another bigger white-colored one. There was also a ornate white head cloth and a pair of sandals.

“So,” he muttered. “Shantigo it is, huh?”

Minami grinned from ear to ear. “Yeah! Captain JJ says that we have to stop by. He was planning to meet with an old friend!”

“And you're taking me there as well because…?”

“Well…” Minami shrugged. “I don't know. I guess the captain simply likes you.”

Yuri frowned at him. “Impossible. He hates the Empire.” he could tell because that's just the way things were since the beginning: JJ’s failed attempt to kidnap Mila, the fact that he had taken him hostage (albeit by accident), the fact that he had fought Otabek and the Crown Navy numerous times even before the incident at Aurel, these were only a few things that proved JJ’s unadulterated loathing for Imperial rule.

“Yeah, but you're not exactly the Empire, aren't you?” Minami replied. “And to be honest, you're too kind to be a Nikiforovian. The kindest I’ve met so far…”

“I’m kind? What makes you say that?” Yuri knew very well that his fellow countrymen had done something wrong, and so he had to wonder: what made him any different from them?

“Well...you didn't hurt people,” Minami said. “I heard you hit the Captain's face when you first met, but that one made sense. And you're nice to animals. And you don't get angry at me even when I was noisy last night.”

“Those are merely your first impressions of me.” Yuri never believed that kindness could be easily seen in everyone.

“But captain said that I should always take note of first impressions because they always count,” Minami answered in a defensive tone. “And they also lead to love at first sight.”

At this, Yuri could not help but chuckle. _Just where did that perverted pirate get that idea?_ “That's some absurd advice right there,” he spoke in a mocking tone.

Minami puffed his cheeks indignantly. “It’s not!” he spoke defensively. “I put my faith in the Captain's words, just like the rest of us always do.”

 

* * *

 

 

JJ found Seung-gil preparing for the flight to Shantigo. The cambiante was packing all of his essentials, from his clothes to his books and tools.

The captain stared at the mountain of boxes piled in the corner of the room. “I will always be surprised  by the amount of items that you take with you whenever we travel.”

“I am your engineer, I always have to be prepared,” Seung-gil replied. He paused for a few seconds, then he stared at JJ’s eyes through his gold and obsidian orbs. “Are you finally ready to talk about it?”

“Seung-gil.” JJ frowned. He knew that Seung-gil’s suggestion was for the crew’s sake, but he could not help the heavy feeling in his heart at the thought of Yuri being left behind - in Bhuta Isles, of all places. “I'm against your suggestion.”

Seung-gil snorted. “I will be more surprised if you're going to agree with me. Despite your reputation, you've always been a softie.”

“Oh, so you're insulting me now because I deferred your idea?”

“No, no.” The _cambiante_ shook his head. “Although I would still try to convince you…”

“Convince me when you have a better idea in mind,” JJ told him sternly. “For the meantime, we will take him with us when we go to Shantigo and meet the Sultan.”

“The Sultan,” Seung-gil scowled. He was clearly displeased by the word. “I can't believe he's replacing his father already.”

JJ smiled fondly. The current Sultan of Shantigo was an old friend, and he couldn't care less no matter how much Seung-gil disliked that person.

“Can’t be helped,” he told him. “His father is ill, and the Chulanont Sultanate needs to stand strong amidst such crisis. There's also the fact that they have many enemies.”

“Still, I don't think he suits the position.” Seung-gil could not find the right words to describe the Sultan. “He is too... aggressive.”

“You're only saying that because he’s been courting you since the first time you met.”

“You don't have to remind me.” There was a look of chagrin on Seung-gil's face which JJ found amusing.

“Oh? You're not fond of dashing noblemen who have conquered lands and hearts of men and women?” the pirate captain teased.

“Not funny, JJ.” Seung-gil turned away, and went back to packing his belongings.

“Aw, but Phichit is such a great guy!” JJ tried to persuade him.

“Not for me.”

“What?” JJ pouted childishly. “You have a better man in your mind?”

 _Yeah, but he's too stupid to even realize it_ , Seung-gil thought.

“Maybe,” he answered vaguely.

He could feel the pirate captain stand still in shock; it must have been a surprise to him that his dearest engineer was capable of getting attracted to someone.

Deep inside his heart, Seung-gil hoped that his sudden revelation would make JJ feel a little bit curious.

 

* * *

 

 

“We need to move, and fast!”

Despite the occasional groans due to headaches and other signs of hangover, the crew was quick to make a move. Everyone quickly packed their belongings and other essentials for the journey, and it wasn’t long until Reina was back in the skies again.

Yuri watched the Bhuta Isles as they gradually disappear from his sight. The smaller the isles become the more he realized that he was getting farther away from home.

 _This isn’t right,_ he thought in frustration. _I should be trying to escape…_

“If you’re planning to make an escape, do it at Shantigo.”

Yuri turned around and glared at JJ. “Or maybe you should have let me go sooner.”

JJ shrugged. “I know you like nature and animals, but I don’t think Bhuta Isles is the ideal place for me to leave you. Not that I wanted to…”

“What’s the point? I’m not your target. You said it yourself…” Yuri scowled at him. “You took me by accident.”

“Uh-huh.”

“That’s all you’re going to say?” Yuri could not hide the frustration he felt. He should have been back at home with his grandfather and Evgenia, living happily. He should be with Mila and Otabek. He should have been living his life normally right now – studying, becoming the brilliant academic, contributing something to his homeland. But here he was – a captive of a frivolous pirate whose motives he could not predict. And he was more frustrated at the fact that he seemed to be unable to do anything about it all.

“Yuri-chan,” JJ said. “You want me to kidnap your friend?”

The question was spoken not as a threat, but as a mere fact. “Why must you ask that?” Yuri spoke angrily.

“Because that’s what my initial plan was,” JJ answered him coldly. “I know I tend to be a little too carefree sometimes, but I have my motives.”

There was a rueful smile on the pirate captain’s face. Yuri gazed at him in wonder; the features of his face that usually wore a happy, outgoing expression, now turned into something grim. He could tell that JJ wanted to say something to him, but chose not to.

“If only I can tell you everything,” JJ spoke regretfully. “But it’s not like you are on my side this whole time.”

 _That’s pretty obvious,_ Yuri thought, although deep inside his heart he wanted to say something else. He wasn’t even sure why, but he wanted to contradict JJ’s words at that time. He was curious about the sky pirate’s motives, of course, but he wanted to reassure that he wasn’t entirely on the Empire’s side either; he knew the actions of his fellow countrymen. He had heard things from his grandfather and from Otabek – how the war was helping the Empire grow, but at the expense of hundreds of lives.

JJ was about to say something else, but something else caught his attention. He looked over Yuri’s shoulder, at the cloudy sunset sky.

Minami came running towards them, yelling in a panicked voice. “Captain! They’ve found us!”

JJ narrowed his eyes at the enormous silvery military airship coming their way. Yuri turned around to see the Imperial airship. The Leviathan hasn’t changed since the last time he had seen it; gloriously elongated and ornate, as if it was the Empire’s sword piercing its way through the skies.

“I know,” the pirate captain spoke in a grim tone. “I can see it very well.”

* * *

 

 

“Admiral,” Leo said. “We’ve found them!”

Otabek immediately approached the Leviathan’s engineer, who was monitoring the radar. But the view outside the control room made a better proof; the Reina, JJ Leroy’s pirate ship was right in front of them, heading towards the sandy areas of Shantigo.

“Get on your battlestations!” he commanded. The other soldiers went on their areas, from the gunmen to the machinists. Mila remained where she was, calmly observing everything that was going on.

“Hmm…” she observed the pirate airship in front of the Leviathan thoughtfully. A thought occurred in her mind, something that made her grin slyly.

“We’re not letting them out of our sight this time!” Otabek spoke firmly to his soldiers.

 

* * *

 

 

“Otabek,” Yuri gasped. He did not expect the Admiral to catch up so quickly. The Leviathan must have left as soon as the Crown Navy was aware that he got kidnapped.

“Captain,” Minami asked JJ worryingly. “Your orders?”

JJ furrowed his eyebrows. “We wait. The Admiral is an honorable man. He won’t just shoot the Reina, especially if Yuri is here. He’ll most likely start things with a negotiation - ”

His words were cut short when he heard a loud explosion. A cannonball whirled past, almost hitting the Reina’s hull. Even Yuri was shocked by the sudden attack; he knew Otabek well, and this was definitely not the kind of move that he would make.

“That piece of shit,” JJ had always believed in the honor of dueling, not that it really applies in airship battles. Nothing angered him more than an underhanded assault on his prized airship. “I take back what I said! We’ll fire at that behemoth with all we’ve got!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry if it's a tad short, I've been busy with work and I have to prepare for the JJ Style Week. I also have to update my other fanfics. I hope you enjoy this chapter. <3


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pirates against the Crown Navy. Who's going to win?

 

There was a certain tension felt by the crew members the moment they heard the explosion. The cannonball barely brushed against the _Reina's_ hull, but they all knew that it was a warning; they understood that the Crown Navy was taking things seriously.

They also knew _very well_ that the Leviathan won't just let them get away like last time.

“Get in position!” Seung-gil immediately sent commands to the other pirates, who swiftly moved to their designated battle stations. “Emil, we need to pick up more speed!”

“On it!” Emil was the one holding the steering wheel. He maneuvered the airship gears, burning fuel to boost the Reina's speed.

JJ immediately joined them in the control room, with Yuri and Minami right behind him. Seung-gil gave him a look that said _I told you so_ , which made the pirate captain wince.

“Now is not the time for that, Seung-gil,” JJ said afterwards. He was clearly getting the message.

“I didn't say anything?” Seung-gil replied innocently.

“Whatever you say. Emil!” JJ spoke to the pilot. “Make sure our guns are facing starboard. We're going to fire back should they attempt to hit us again. As for you,” he turned to face Yuri, who looked shaken. “You don't have to witness this. Take him to his room, Minami.”

Minami grabbed Yuri’s hand. “Let's go.”

“Let go! I'm not staying in my room - “ Yuri struggled as the huntsman dragged him away. “Hey!”

“What are we going to do now?” Seung-gil asked the captain.

“We’re gonna fight back, of course.” JJ got behind the main gun, an ornate heavy cannon that carried ammunition capable of piercing into an armored ship. It was one of Seung-gil's machines, custom-made for the _Reina_. “Seung-gil, keep our gears going; we need to make it to the desert before they catch us.”

“They're here for that noble brat - aren't they supposed to be starting negotiations?” Seung-gil asked.

“That's definitely the case,” JJ had to forcefully move the gun to the right and aim it at the Leviathan's hull. “But they're also after our asses. At times like this, what we need is sanctuary.”

Seung-gil frowned. “So we must stall them until we get past the border.”

JJ grinned at him. “That's right.”

Seung-gil didn't bother replying; he turned on his heel and headed for the engine room. There are machines to be boosted, and a border to reach.

* * *

 

 

“Mila!” Otabek yelled in anger. “What was that for?!”

Mila remained seated behind one of Leviathan’s golden-colored light cannons that fire shattering ammunition. Guanghong, the one who should be utilizing the artillery, stood behind her looking petrified.

“A warning shot,” Mila spoke to the Admiral coldly. For  moment, her merciless tone reminded Otabek of Emperor Viktor. “They know that we'll want to negotiate with, but they also have to know that they don't have the upper hand simply because they have a hostage.”

“Enemy ship is speeding up!” Leo reported.

“Damnit!” Otabek cursed in frustration. “Make sure to keep up with them!”

The Leviathan increased its pace, keeping the _Reina_ at close distance. The pirate airship was flying swiftly; JJ Leroy was  clearly trying to get away from the Crown Navy. There was no way Otabek would allow him to do so.

“Fire at their starboard!” he said. “Make sure to slow them down!”

* * *

 

 

The _Leviathan_ fired their light cannons, targeting the right side of the _Reina_. The sound of explosion was terrifyingly deafening as enormous round ammo shot out of the Crown Navy's deadly machinery and hurled themselves onto the pirate ship. Emil was able to steer the _Reina_ as JJ commanded, and the airship only suffered a minor hit on its upper deck.

JJ could smell the smoke and fire powder caused by the enemy attack. He glanced at Yuuri and the other pirates who were behind the light guns. “Switch to the special ammo! Yuuri, the Star-fire bullets should give them a scare!”

Yuuri nodded in agreement. “Switch to the Star-fire!” He and the other crew members quickly switched their bullets, replacing the normal ammo with the special ones.

“On three,” JJ commanded. “Fire!”

 _Reina's_ light artillery consisted of Gatling guns which were capable of quickly firing light ammo. But they also made use of the Star-fire, a special ammo that is also one of Seung-gil's many inventions.

The bullets were the size of the human palm, shooting out of the Gatling guns’ barrels. These disintegrated in mid-air like a firework, dividing into multiple explosive shrapnel which struck the Leviathan's upper deck.

“Another one!” JJ shouted. He aimed the main gun at the top of the enemy airship’s control room. “Fire!”

More Star-fire bullets were fired. JJ began firing the main cannon, and its ammo shot up in an arc towards the control room of the _Leviathan_.

 

* * *

 

The Crown Navy felt the impact of the pirates’ retaliation. The _Leviathan_ shook as explosive shrapnel struck its side. An armor piercing bullet also hit the control room, almost breaking airship's fiber glass windows. Those who were standing at that time either stumbled or completely fell down due to the strong impact. Otabek had to grab the back of the pilot’s seat to maintain his balance.

“What in the world was that?” Leo asked, astounded.

“Illegal makeshift weapons,” Mila gritted her teeth in anger. “Either they have a brilliant engineer, or they have someone providing them resources…”

“Don't let them hit us again!” Otabek yelled to the soldiers. “Send out a team of flyers!”

* * *

 

 

Seung-gil was on his way to the engine room when he heard the zooming sound. A glance outside the window made him aware that the _Leviathan_ sent out a team of five flyers, definitely bent on keeping the _Reina_ from getting away. Flyers are light airships that can only carry a single pilot, but they are equipped with armaments which are helpful in battles.

“Shit!” The _cambiante_ cursed under his breath, and he began to run to the engine room, located in the center of the airship.

Other crew members were already there, working themselves to the bone to make sure that the _Reina_ runs as fast as it could without exploding. Some of them were yelling and fussing over an engine which seemed to be on the verge of overheating.

Seung-gil took matters into his own hands. “Leave this to me,” he told them sternly. “Go take care of the other gears!”

He removed his leather gloves and touched the engine’s searingly hot metal surface. An ordinary human would have suffered burns, but he was a specialist when it comes to controlling fire. The imprisoned flame in his right eye lit up as he took the heat from the machine. It took some time until the engine cooled down, and the airship was safe to travel faster than before.

Seung-gil turned to the other machinists in the room. “Reload the guns at the upper deck!”

The pirates nodded and did as they were told. They immediately rushed to aid the gunners at the upper deck.

Seung-gil felt the airship shake violently as another cannonball struck its hull.

 _Just a little more,_ he thought as he pulled out a wrench from a nearby toolbox. _We're going to reach the border no matter what._

* * *

 

 

Yuri could not believe what was happening. Everything was happening so fast; there was Otabek who was trying to save him, and there's JJ hoping to exclude him from seeing the battle that's taking place. There was an exchange of cannonballs and explosions taking place, and he could feel the _Reina_ shake beneath his feet as it was being assaulted by gunfire.

 _This is war,_ he thought miserably. _It's not as huge as the ones that Grandpa and Otabek told me before, but this is definitely it._

He knew that the world could be so cruel, but he never thought that things like this would be witnessed by him. He understood that the Crown Navy was coming to save him, but he didn't expect that they would attack the sky pirates while they were at it.

_That pirate bastard! This shouldn't have happened if they didn't attack the Imperial Capital._

Yuri was frustrated. He remembered that despite JJ’s strange actions and his unknown motives, he and his crew were not exactly villains; he kept JJ's words in his mind, taking note of the fact that although the pirate captain had coldly deemed murder as something common among humans, he acknowledged honorable men such as the Admiral Altin with respect.

 _There is more to his actions than mere motives of an evil man. But first, I must do something_ _to stop this._

Yuri twisted his arm free from Minami’s grasp. It was a struggle freeing himself from the huntsman; Minami, despite his petite build, had a strong grip on him.

“Let go already!” He said. He bit Minami’s hand, making the huntsman scream. He ran back to the upper deck afterwards to talk to JJ.

 

* * *

 

“They’ve got flyers!” Yuuri sounded alarmed.

“I didn't expect that he’d bring everyone to the party,” JJ murmured dryly as he continued blasting the _Leviathan’s_ cockpit with his cannons. “Don't let them get any closer to the ship! We're almost there!”

The sky pirates continued to fire at the enemy. Some of them switched back to the normal cannons to shoot down the flyers. The small airships were swift, and most of them were able to dodge the attacks easily.

“JJ!”

JJ turned around to find Yuri running back to the upper deck. “What are you doing here?!” He got up and left the main gun. He caught Yuri before the young man stumble when the airship was shaken by cannon fire. The pirate captain grabbed the nobleman's arms and steadied him.

“This needs to stop!” Yuri shouted amidst explosion and gunfire. “All we need is to let them negotiate - “

JJ eyed him in disbelief. “What makes you think that they're not going to execute us after letting you go - “

“But Otabek is my friend! He is an honorable man -”

“Captain!” Emil yelled. “We have trouble ahead of us!”

JJ and Yuri glanced up, They could see very well that they have reached Shantigo. Unfortunately, they got there at the worst possible time.

Up ahead of them was the desert kingdom's usual sandstorm, massive enough to engulf both the Reina and the Leviathan.

“By the celestials’ wrath,” JJ gasped. “Everyone! Hang on to something!”

 

* * *

 

“We have a sandstorm ahead!” Leo warned.

“Retreat!” Otabek commanded. “Flyers! Return to the Leviathan now!”

It was too late. The sandstorm brought strong winds which the flyers weren't able to withstand. Such was the deadly force of nature as powerful winds, along with thick waves of sand destroyed the flyers before they could even reach the airship.

The Leviathan was caught in the raging calamity, the same way a kid would violently sweep away a useless toy.

 

* * *

 

“Your Majesty, there's a sandstorm by the border near the Nikiforov Empire.”

Around that time, another ship was on its way to the western desert kingdom. The _Conquista_ was the airship of the Royal House of Shantigo, and it was on its way back home from a diplomatic visit to Arkos.

“There's nothing new about that.” Phichit Chulanont, the prince of Shantigo and heir to the Chulanont Sultanate, relaxed himself in his seat as he stared at his mentor and adviser Celestino Cialdini. “Shantigo owes her safety to the fury of the sandstorms.”

“Yes, but you seem to forget,” Celestino replied. “That Jean-Jacques and Yuuri are coming to visit.”

“They're probably going to stop by to watch the coronation. Which reminds me,” Phichit straightened up. “Seung-gil is also coming. Right?”

There was an obvious look of delight on the prince’s face. Celestino sighed wearily. “You're really into that cold-hearted _cambiante_ , aren't you?”

“And I thought you are a great judge of character. Seung-gil is not cold-hearted!” Phichit spoke indignantly, feeling offended.

“All right, all right...no need to scold me.” Phichit was clearly sensitive when it comes to matters concerning Lee Seung-gil, thus Celestino decided to change the topic. “But have you heard the news about the kidnapping?”

“Yes. Knowing those two, I expected their arrival here soon.” Phichit smiled. “It's an interesting feat, for them to be able to take away the grandson of the Empire’s greatest scientist.”

“But we know that the young man wasn't supposed to be the target - “

“I know. They should take the Emperor’s cousin, but her lover was admittedly formidable.”

“But JJ himself is formidable. None of the members of the Crown Navy ever caught him, not even the famous Admiral Altin.”

“Then there's nothing to worry about. JJ will complete his goals no matter what.”

Celestino frowned at him. “You're taking things too lightly, just like him.”

“Well, we do have a lot of similarities,” Phichit laughed. He stood up from his chair afterwards. “Very well. I think we should pass by that border. I'm getting the feeling that JJ was already there, and there are bad guys after him.”

 

* * *

 

“Hang on to something!” JJ shouted.

The raging sandstorm engulfed the _Reina_ like a huge wave. The crew grabbed on to the sturdiest thing that they could hold on to as Emil put on a pair of goggles and struggled to maneuver the helm through the strong winds.

Yuri, however, could not grab on to anything except JJ himself; he and the pirate did their best to stand firm against the sandstorm while holding onto each other.

It seemed that the sandstorm would last forever. It tested the strength of the airships as both tried to withstand the strong gusts of wind and the heavy grains of sand whipping against them.

The crew in the _Leviathan_ , on the other hand, were undeniably tense. The airship was vibrating against the violent winds, and they were unable to see anything outside.

Mechanics were running everywhere, making sure that the sand won't damage their engines.

“How long will this last?” Otabek asked.

“For half an hour, probably,” Leo answered uncertainly. He was eyeing the control panel worryingly, checking the status of the airship through the monitors.

“Can the _Leviathan_ survive that long?”

“I am more worried about the other ship,” said Mila. “That one’s more likely to be destroyed by the sandstorm.”

Otabek frowned. That was one thing he didn't want to happen.

“Let's just pray that they're still alive by the time this sandstorm calms,” he told her. “Then we will get them.”

 

* * *

 

It took more than half an hour until the sandstorm finally calmed down. The horizon was clear; there was the vast desert of Shantigo, exotically beautiful and seemingly welcoming.

Both the Reina and the _Leviathan_ survived the calamity, albeit with some casualties. Reina had to make some repairs but it could still fly. The Leviathan suffered less, but it lost its team of flyers due to the storm.

Seung-gil immediately rushed to the upper deck after the sandstorm.

“Is everyone all right?” He asked.

Emil looked relieved and exhausted as he responded. “I'm surprised that we are still alive to be honest.” He glanced around. “Say your names so we know that no one's been taken away by the storm! Well you know that I'm here and alive!”

Everyone did as they were told. Seung-gil, Yuuri and Minami were there, and so were the rest of the crew.

But there were two names that were not heard that moment.

“Where's JJ?” Seung-gil asked. He could not conceal the worry in his words; his voice sounded shaken, clearly in fear that something bad happened.

“And Yuri!” Minami panicked. “He came here a while ago!”

“Search the entire ship! They could be hiding somewhere!” It was a hopeless thought considering the fact that there were limited spaces for the two to hide especially when the sandstorm occurred, but Seung-gil was desperate.

Everyone were on the move all of a sudden. Emil remained by the helm to pilot the airship, but even he was getting concerned. “Seung-gil, we can search below -”

His voice was cut off by the sound of a voice. They had almost forgotten the fact that the _Leviathan_ was also there, and that the Crown Navy was still after them.

“Jean-Jacques Leroy!” Otabek Altin’s voice was commanding through the amplifier. “You have committed a crime against the Nikiforov Empire by kidnapping one of its citizens. Surrender now or we will force you to do so!”

Seung-gil gritted his teeth in anger. “Are the cannons still usable?”

“I...I am not sure about that,” Emil replied.

“I repeat,” Otabek spoke. “By the orders of the Emperor - “

“The Emperor's command,” said another voice. “Is only applicable within the borders of his own lands.”

Seung-gil looked up; he knew that voice very well. It was that lively and friendly sound that used to spoke compliments about him when he first stepped on the sands of Shantigo. But that voice now has a powerful tone, a proof that he had changed into the leader that his father wanted him to be.

“This is the Prince of Shantigo, Phichit Chulanont speaking,” he said through the amplifier within the glorious airship _Conquista_. “I do not tolerate the Empire's implementing of power in my land. On behalf of the Sultan, I command the Crown Navy to leave this territory, or we will be forced to initiate a defensive attack!"

 

* * *

 

“Curses,” Otabek gritted his teeth in anger.

It was another unexpected misfortune for the Crown Navy. The _Leviathan_ , while still intact, definitely wouldn't stand a chance against the royal airship of Shantigo in its current condition.

Mila narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the newly arrived airship. “How did they know we're here?”

The Admiral ignored her question. He turned to his crew. “Retreat! We have to go back.”

“What are you saying?!” Mila protested.

“We have to go back,” Otabek told her. “We cannot fight the Royal Prince himself or else we will start a war. But we're not giving up.”

 

* * *

 

Seung-gil heaved a sigh of relief when he saw the _Leviathan_ turn back and left Shantigo. There were no words spoken the moment Phichit spoke his command; the Nikiforov Empire and the Kingdom of Shantigo were rivals, and the Crown Navy knew that no explanation would give them permission to hunt down pirates in the Chulanont Sultanate.

Yuuri returned from searching the airship.

“I couldn't find him,” he told Seung-gil. “I couldn't find the prisoner either.”

Seung-gil's heart sank. It was an unusual feeling for him - the feeling of loss, the feeling of hope and desperation mixing together in a strange way. He could see the way his crew members stare at him; they were sympathetic, almost just as worried for JJ as he was.

 _No time for that_ , Seung-gil said to himself.

“Phichit Chulanont is here,” he said to everyone. “We must speak with him.”

 

* * *

 

The _Reina_ followed the _Conquista_ to the nearest trade post in the desert. For an enormous wasteland, the trade posts of Shantigo were very lively; a myriad of cultures and races make a marvelous sight as traders from all around the world gathered to exchange goods and gossip.

As such, the sky pirates were fortunate to find an airship hangar where they could repair the Reina.

Seung-gil and Yuuri prepared themselves to meet the Prince. They dressed in their most decent attire and cleaned themselves as much as possible. Without JJ around, it was safer to mind their manners and blend in.

Donning the attire of desert travellers, they wore loose, colorful clothing and turbans, much like the commoners of Shantigo would.

“I will leave the airship repairs to you,” Seung-gil told Emil. “Visit the in if you have anything to say.”

Emil nodded. “No problem. Are you sure you're gonna be fine?”

“Yes.” Seung-gil had the look of determination on his face.

 

* * *

 

There was only a single inn at the trade post, mostly because the people often do not stay for long due to the hot climate. It was a simple wooden building with two floors, the lower one served as a restaurant serving surprisingly delicious meals, produced thanks to the fact that the owner has easy access to affordable spices.

That night, however, the meal was more than special; in fact the inn was holding a feast, with free food and drink for everyone. All of the expenses were paid by the Prince, of course.

It was for this reason that Seung-gil was pissed off when he and Yuuri arrived. He was there for a serious meeting; he did not expect the rowdy crowd cheering for the Prince’s generosity.

He found Phichit Chulanont sitting in the corner, together with his faithful adviser Celestino Cialdini. They were having a conversation with the owner, who seemed too eager to heed their every wish.

“The traders from Arkos were boasting about a wine that's sweeter than the ones we export,” Phichit whispered to the owner. “I was hoping to have some of that spirit and see for myself…”

Seung-gil swore that the owner's head could drop to the floor with the way he nodded. “Yes, of course, Your Majesty. We have that wine…”

Phichit smiled. It was a familiar smile to Seung-gil; strangely charming, almost like JJ’s but special in its own way. It was the one of the few things that did not change in his appearance after so many years. The last time they met, Seung-gil could still remember Phichit's youthful beauty. Hair and eyes as dark as his own, but while Seung-gil often stared coldly at others, there was always a certain warmth in Phichit's obsidian gaze. And while Seung-gil's complexion was pale like snow, Phichit's skin was radiant, kissed by the bright sun.

Those features were still the same right now, but something else changed. Phichit was now taller than him, and he carried himself with regal ease, befitting the status of the Sultan. It wasn't hard to imagine the lithe physique underneath the red and gold  robe he was wearing.

The beautiful boy that Seung-gil used to know, had finally become a handsome man - stronger, more powerful, and undeniably attractive. Not that he would ever dare admit that.

It did not take long until Phichit noticed him staring. “Seung-gil!” His face brightened up, becoming the cheerful youth once again. Seung-gil felt relieved upon seeing that familiar look on his face. “And Yuuri too!”

“With the way you said my name, it's as if my existence was merely an afterthought,” Yuuri said. “We're friends. Or have you forgotten already?”

“Of course not!” Phichit laughed. He then wrapped his arms around Yuuri, the way a man would embrace a beloved long lost brother. Yuuri returned the warm gesture as he hugged him back.

“It's nice to see you again, Sultan Phichit Chulanont of the Shantigo Kingdom.”

“No, I am yet to be enthroned,” Phichit replied humbly. “And you are lucky to arrive here before that happens.”

The Prince glanced around, searching. “Now, where is that gutsy young captain of yours?”

“He's gone missing after the sandstorm,” Seung-gil answered.

Phichit stared at him blankly for a moment, before laughing. “Did he tell you to play mischief upon me? Seriously, where is JJ?”

Seung-gil remained silent. That was more than enough evidence to prove that he was not joking.

 

* * *

 

“I see,” Phichit spoke after hearing Seung-gil and Yuri’s story. He looked solemnly regretful. “If only we have arrived sooner…”

“You came at the right time,” Yuuri immediately replied. “The Admiral could have gotten us if you weren't there.”

“Yuuri’s right,” Seung-gil agreed. “We are grateful for your assistance, Your Majesty.”

Phichit pouted. “How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?”

“Pardon me, Your Majesty, but we seek your support once again, this time in searching for our captain - “

“Seung-gil!”

Celestino feigned a cough. “Your Majesty,” he told Phichit. “If you could please allow our guests to speak.”

Phichit frowned. “Of course.” He looked sullen. “Please continue.”

Seung-gil continued speaking. “As I have said a moment ago, we are hoping that you provide us help in finding our captain, who disappeared after the sandstorm struck our airship.”

“Of course,” Phichit responded in an uncharacteristically authoritative tone. “Help shall be provided the soonest. What about your airship?”

“We appreciate the offer, but we already got that covered. We will fly away to find JJ as soon as the Reina has been repaired.”

“No,” Phichit said. “I’d prefer that you and your crew come with us to Aman Sinaya first.”

Seung-gil's eyes widened. “We're going to the capital now?” He asked. “But our captain is probably alive somewhere in the desert waiting for us!”

“If JJ is alive, the first thing he’ll do is go to the capital,” Phichit answered. “We will start the search tomorrow. All you have to do is wait for him at the capital. Leave the rest to me.” he smiled gently at Seung-gil, as if to assure the cambiante that he will find JJ as soon as possible.

 

* * *

 

Phichit further extended his generosity by paying for the sky pirates’ lodgings. Emil remained in the Reina despite the fact that there were people guarding the hangar (he “feels uncomfortable leaving her alone”). Seung-gil and the rest of the crew took the opportunity to stay at the inn, taking delight in the more comfortable beds than the narrow cots they had in the airship.

Despite the promise made by the Prince, Seung-gil was too worried to fall asleep. He could not help but think about JJ even in the middle of the night. He wanted to remain calm, but the idea of JJ ending up somewhere in that vast, empty land disturbed his thoughts. And there was the fact that he might be dead.

_No, don't think like that. Stop it._

Unable to rest, he decided to take a stroll outside. He was hoping that a long walk would clear his mind, and tire his body.

“You can't sleep?”

Seung-gil turned around to face Phichit. The prince was wearing a loose white sleeping garment and a pair of sandals.

“You're going for a walk?” He asked. “Mind if I keep you company?”

The two of them walked outside the inn quietly. The trade post was still; the sounds usually heard at daylight were replaced by peaceful silence at night. The desert wind was cold, wrapping itself around Seung-gil, who shivered. Phichit, on the other hand, did not seem to be bothered despite being the one wearing thinner clothing.

It was Phichit who broke the silence first. “You're really that worried about him?” He asked in a melancholy tone.

Seung-gil arched an eyebrow at him in wonder. “Are you not worried?”

“It's more like I believe that he is going to be all right?” Phichit shrugged. It was as if he was trying to explain something unimaginable, but Seung-gil understood it very well – JJ was the kind of man whom people would want to put their faith on. It might seem to be a strange idea to put one’s trust in a pirate, but to those who knew him very well, JJ was a trustworthy man.

“But he's a lucky man to have someone like you worry about him.” Phichit added. Seung-gil noticed that there was something about his voice that seemed lonely when he said those words, but he did not comment on it.

“He is my captain. There's no way I wouldn't worry.”

“Is that really all?” Phichit reached out a hand to touch Seung-gil's face. His palm was rough from years of honing his skills at wielding the sword, but Seung-gil noticed the delicate way he held him - it was as if he was a precious flower, an exotic desert bloom that the Prince wanted to cherish.

“I didn't ask a while ago because of the problem with JJ, but I've been meaning to ask you about this scar. What happened?” he asked softly.

Seung-gil glanced away, avoiding his gentle touch. He tried not to look affected by the other man’s actions. “It’s nothing but a casualty in fighting. His Majesty doesn’t have to worry about it.”

“You're using that term again,” Phichit sounded disappointed this time. “Can't you just call me by my name? You always call him JJ.”

“You seem to forget that if a commoner speak your true name, they’ll get beheaded as punishment for not acknowledging the authority of the Sultanate.”

“I am yet to become a Sultan!” Phichit spoke in chagrin. “I swear to the Water Goddess and all celestials that law shall the first thing that I will abolish once I am enthroned.”

“Then I won't say your name until that time comes.” Seung-gil walked away, somehow regretting that he let the Prince walk with him that night.

“Stubborn as always…” Phichit had a lopsided grin on his face. He likes it when Seung-gil tries to play hard to get, after all.

* * *

 

 

The _Leviathan_ was flying at a slower pace than before. While it was in decent condition it was mandatory that the airship fly at such speed. The Crown Navy lost some men, and it was a time for mourning.

Mila and Otabek were back in the Admiral’s sleeping quarters, sitting together without saying a word to each other. Otabek was sullen for failing his mission, and Mila could not help but feel guilty about it.

“Forgive me,” she began speaking. “I know it's my own doing - “

“I am not going to hear any of your apologies.” Mila wasn't certain if her lover could not forgive her for her reckless actions, but he did sound furious. “What's done is done.”

“But we can still try!” Mila sounded desperate; not for herself, but for her disheartened lover. She understood that it was more than a mission for Otabek – he had to save a friend, and he had to redeem his honor. She wanted to help, but things did not turn out the way she wanted to.

Otabek stood up. “I have to send a report to the Emperor…”

“Wait,” Mila spoke softly. She grabbed his hand to keep him from leaving. “I am telling you, we can still try.”

Otabek shook his head in disagreement. “As much as I want to agree with you, we cannot arrest the pirates without seeking permission from the Chulanont Sultanate. We need the Emperor’s political power for this - “

“We don’t have to arrest the pirates yet,” Mila replied. “But we can go there and save Yuri!”

Otabek turned around. He looked in her eyes - clear as the ocean, full of hope, and twinkling with delight as a new and probably bold idea came into her brilliant mind.

“Tell me all about it,” he told her.

Mila smiled at him lovingly. She could see the hope in his eyes again, and she could not help but love him more.

“Come sit beside me and we'll talk about it…” she replied.

 

* * *

 

The Emperor Viktor Nikiforov was famous for the parties he held at his palace in Aurel. To the common folk, this was merely a show of power, gathering the elite of the society for senseless celebrations. But to the Emperor, it was also something else.

The people invited to the Emperor's parties were more than elite; they came from various backgrounds. There were the politicians, of course - the nobles whose influence helped keep his rule secure. There were the intellectuals, the academics whose knowledge could shape the Empire's future.

And then there were the merchants; the rich people who were the foundation of the economy. They were also indispensable for their knowledge of the world events, and more importantly they were a great source of gossip from other lands.

Viktor knew the relevance of every person he meets, and for as long as he found them useful, he would never let them go.

“Of course, I will be willing to lend you whatever knowledge you need from my private collection,” Viktor told one of his friends, a renowned archaeologist named Christophe Giacometti. “But Chris, my old friend, you must share your tales of discovery to us afterwards.”

“Of course, Your Majesty,” Christophe replied with a corteous smile. “I am most grateful for your assistance.”

Viktor smiled in return. “And if I remember it correctly, you are planning to excavate the ruins of Shantigo?”

“That is the plan…” Chris seemed uncomfortable about the new topic. “The upcoming Sultan seems amiable, but they're making sure that we're unable to take any artifact back home. We may be scholars, but we are still foreigners in that land.”

“Well the people of Shantigo aren't known for their friendliness,” Viktor quipped. “You are lucky that they didn't turn you into slaves!”

This seemed to be a blatant insult to one of the most economically powerful kingdoms in the world, but everyone knew that the Emperor has his own callous way of joking about the rampant slave trade in Shantigo. There was no way anyone would argue with him on matters that are factual.

“Ah, but just in case that you are able to pursue your project, I would like to suggest a good friend who can serve as your sponsor.” he glanced at one of the guests, a handsome but austere young man donning a loose, floor-length purple silk jacket embroidered with gold thread. He seemed to be foreign; with brown hair matching his piercing violet eyes, and a smooth tan skin. “Michele! It’s been a while since I last saw you.”

Michele had an austere expression as he approached Viktor and Chris. “I’m sorry for not being able to attend your parties, Your Majesty.”

Viktor shrugged nonchalantly. “Well at least it’s your business is going really well, judging by how often you had to travel around the world. By the way, meet Christophe Giacometti, the head of the archaeology department of the Academy. If I remember it correctly your sister is very interested in ancient history. Would you be so kind to donate to the academic cause?”

Michele exchanged greetings with Chris, who smiled at him amiably. “Of course. Anything for Sara.”

“By the way, if I remember it correctly you have set up a business in Shantigo as well,” said Viktor.

Michele nodded in response. “Yes, Your Majesty. My sister and I are taking advantage of the high demand for spices there.” 

“And you’re doing very well. The Crispino Enterprise is now famous all over the world,” The Emperor smiled.

“I’m honored to hear that.”

A butler approached the group and whispered something to Viktor’s ear. Both Chris and Michele noticed the way the Emperor’s expression change upon hearing the message – a look of cold anger, fury like the ice that could make one shiver to death. But it was only for a second, and he immediately returned to his role as a gracious host.

“Forgive me, gentlemen, I have some matters to attend to. Please enjoy the party until the end,” he told his guests. He immediately left the ballroom afterwards.

 

* * *

 

Viktor walked swiftly to the palace library, where he saw Georgi waiting together with a guard and a maid. The maid was a young lady working at Mila’s home, and she looked at him with fear in her eyes.

“Where is she?” Viktor asked.

“I swear, Your Majesty, I know nothing of her whereabouts,” the maid replied in a shaky voice. “She just left without notice – “

She cried as Viktor’s palm struck her, making her fall onto the floor. Georgi frowned at the violence before him – violence against women, of all things.

“You do not have to do that,” he said. “I’ll go find her.”

Viktor glanced at him. “Go,” he said. There was something about his voice that sent shivers down Georgi’s spine. He had known the Emperor for a while; they were acquaintances, but there wasn’t much that was revealed of Viktor’s private life, even his childhood. But Georgi was aware of the man’s cruel tendencies.

He immediately left the library. He had a bad feeling about what was to happen in that room and he knew that he was powerless to stop it.

In the library, the guard closed the door and locked it. Viktor’s eyes – icy blue orbs, have gone lifeless and void of any emotion.

“Give me the sword,” he ordered the guard, who obediently provided him one.

The maid crawled backwards, shaking her head in fear. She looked upon the Emperor’s face pleadingly with tears flowing down her cheeks. “Your Majesty, please. I swear I know nothing…”

“I understand,” Viktor replied with a smile. “But that only means that you are useless to me.”

 Without any hesitation he raised the sword, and struck the maid. Sharp blade pierced her soft flesh, and her body dropped on the floor like a ragdoll. Crimson fluid stained the carpet and the hem of the Emperor’s golden robes.

But Viktor was not satisfied. Venting out his wrath by murder was not enough to ease his anger.

“I don’t care how you do it,” he told the guard. “Burn an entire village if you must. Find Mila, and bring her back here.”

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Cambiantes - they are basically magical beings in this AU, and because of the Empire they are considered as "evil spawn" or "heretic" by most people. Seung-Gil, the Reina's engineer, happens to be one of them (badass, right?) There'll be more about their kind as the story goes on.
> 
> I love JYuri and JSeung, so I'm hoping you readers enjoy this! It'll be a slow burn, but I don't want to rush on writing these days because it ends up really bad.


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